GDI Platoon Commander: A "GDI Edition" side-quest (non-canon)
- Thread starter NickAragua
- Start date
- Sci-Fi Action
Mission 3, Turn 15: October 11, 2058
- Location
- New England
Raw Plan/Resolution:
October 11, 2058
"EVA, bring up all available Tiberium tracking data from the last fourteen days. Plot relative Tiberium density by sector." You say out loud. In reality, you've already spent the last few hours lining up data requests from the Tiberium tracking satellites - the amount of data you've requested, you expect you've been flagged for "manual review" by InOps. Well, it's for a good cause. The tech you get in touch with at Orbital is very helpful in getting you the scripts you need to sort the data properly. Once you give EVA the raw data, sorted by sector, "she" is actually pretty good at converting it to human-readable format. This is necessary because you lack any kind of intuitive understanding of the raw measurements that the Tiberium satellites take - for example, what the hell does "DCC/MRPX" mean? (You look it up: it's "distinct crystal coefficient per pixel at maximum resolution", which makes your eyes glaze over but it basically boils down to how many crystals there are in each surveillance frame).
"Data visualization... completed. Seven percent drop, adjusted for daily growth, in Tiberium content detected in sector A1 on day five. Ninety-two percent drop, adjusted for daily growth, in Tiberium content... "
"Halt verbal summary." You tell EVA. She's just going to keep talking if you let her - you can read the summary just as well yourself. The bottom line is that both A1 and A6 had small Tiberium content reductions around day five that are unexplained. The other ones, C8 and D4, you have explanations for, and the rest of the Tiberium sectors are behaving as expected.
The difference between the Forgotten outpost at A2 and A7 is that you concluded negotiations with the A7 outpost before the drop in Tiberium content. Do the Forgotten keep that accurate tabs on their Tiberium fields that they can notice an 8% drop in a field from a day's walk away? And what could possibly account for the Tiberium reduction?
The latter, you theorize is some stealthed Nod harvesters. It took you over a week to get some Pitbulls into the area, plenty of time for them to sneak in and steal some Tiberium. They wouldn't be able to pull it off now, of course - you've sealed up the northern sector pretty good with minefields while the southern sector is crawling with your Pitbulls.
The former, you have no idea. Maybe Sabuur does? You go visit him in the medical wing of the barracks.
---
Most of the Forgotten have recovered and have been sent on their way home, or been airlifted to facilities with better medical capability than what you have. Sabuur, though, just needed time.
"What brings you here, Lieutenant?" he says, flashing a tiberium-laced grin. "The doctor tells me I have another day or two before I can walk home."
You nod. "No permanent damage?"
He shakes his head. "All the shrapnel has been removed."
"Right." you sigh. "Uh... remember when Nod attacked your village? You said that they were closer than we thought."
He nods, his grin slowly dissolving.
"You were right, satellite data showed that additional Nod force to the east." you continue. "You said that the crystal told you. How?"
He shrugs. "I don't know. But some of us can sense ... when large amounts of activity occurs on the ground in Tiberium fields."
"I see." You say, although you really don't. "Some kind of vibration sensitivity?"
"It's hard to explain." He answers.
You sigh. "Some of your fellow Forgotten... have kidnapped Karpov." Sabuur raises an eyebrow in confusion. "The negotiator that first came to your outpost." Sabuur lowers his eyebrow as recognition returns to his face.
"They demand some prisoner that we supposedly have be returned to them, and they appear angry at some of their Tiberium disappearing." You continue. "We didn't take it. I've got the traffic logs that prove that none of my troops went into that field. It's got to be stealthed Nod units, but ... " you hesitate.
"... you don't know if they will believe you." Sabuur finishes. "You want me to talk to them."
"Yes. Please." You ask, pleading. "They've given me a seventy two hour deadline... now down to less than forty eight. Even if I wanted to, I can't give them a prisoner not in my custody. If they can't be convinced to back down... " you shake your head. "It's not going to end well."
Sabuur nods. "I'll see what I can do. Let me have comms access and the relevant data."
You think about it. But you get distracted a little bit.
---
T+2
"Short-range ballistic missile detected on approach trajectory. ETA... ten seconds." your EVA informs you just as your forces engage the Nod outpost in C8.
"Destination?" You call out, nervously, hoping to get a warning out to whoever is about to get plastered.
"Sector C5. Prepare for detonation."
You cringe, and brace yourself. It turns out to be "just" a low-yield EMP warhead, which detonates directly above your base. The lights and screens flicker, then you hear the backup generators spinning up and your RADAR screens go fuzzy while your comms are filled with static.
"EVA, go to backup systems now. Route comms via satellite if necessary or possible."
This disruption forces you to use a mixture of "real-time" camera feeds from your units and satellite feeds; it takes you a few minutes to get used to it.
T+3
By the time you're "back in the game", your engineering squad has entered the refinery; they were briefly stymied by a Nod buggy, but that vehicle is driven off by one of your rocket-equipped APCs.
Overall, the proportion of laser-equipped units in the Nod force is pretty low, so your ablative plating is mostly fodder for projectile weaponry. One of your pitbulls takes several rockets from infantry inside a "deployed" Reckoner and is forced to retreat, trailing smoke andplating. Said Reckoner, however, eats a mortar round directly to the top of the vehicle, basically splitting it in half.
You watch your Predator rotate its turret and peg a Scorpion tank directly through the front armor, the slug going through one of the bulldozer blades in the front and embedding itself somewhere within the enemy tank. It belches smoke out of the opening and reverses, backing off the battlefield.
T+4
To your dismay, the remaining Nod force suddenly multiplies into two, as vehicles and external infantry split into two.
"Holographic field activation... detected." EVA informs you.
"Thanks." You mutter. "All units, enemy is using holograms. Pitbull, see if you can clean some of that up."
"Roger that." comes the response. Your APCs and infantry wind up performing pretty well with the Pitbull's help - while the recon vehicle has to hang back a bit, its advanced sensors help your APCs rout a pair of buggies. Your Predator tank, however, scores a dead center hit on the second Scorpion tank - too bad it was a hologram. At least the hologram disappers.
Still, at this point, you've accomplished the main goal you'd set for yourself - the Engineering squad reports that they have triggered the self-destruct sequence on the refinery and are making their way to the exit.
T+5
To your amazement, one of your APCs still has some ablative plating left, and it absorbs a direct hit from a Saboteur's laser pistol - the hit would definitely have pentrated the Guardian's armor if not for the plating. Your Pitbull is somewhat distracted having to evade a strafing run by one of the remaining buggies, and so your APCs and infantry mostly hit holograms; except for your Predator, which puts a railgun round through the remaining Scorpion tank, turning it into an immobilized wreck.
T+6
At this point, it's all over but the screaming. With the hologram count greatly depleted, the remaining Nod forces are now outnumbered, and the Nod commander empties his buildings, forcing the remaining non-combatants into the field. Your Predator keeps some non-combatants suppressed inside the factory while your APCs team up on a Reckoner, blowing it away, along with most of the infantry inside it.
Your infantry squads carry out a successful demolition of the damaged anti-tank turret, although some non-combatants from the nearby construction yard spray your people down with small arms fire, inflicting several casualties.
T+7
The remaining saboteur lasers your Pitbull as it mortars some more Nod infantry, forcing your vehicle to disengage, but as the construction yard comes down from the Predator's railgun fire, what's left is maybe two infantry squads' worth of light troopers, who emerge from their smoldering buildings and fighting positions with hands raised.
You unclench your hands and teeth, congratulating your troops on a job well done, then go outside to survey the damage to your base. But not for too long - you'll need to decide soon whether to push your troops on and see if you can wipe out the remainder of the Nod base in D8.
Battle results:
Nod base in C8 destroyed
2x Reckoner, 1x Scorpion, 1x Buggy, 1x Militant Squad, 1x Saboteur destroyed;
1x Militant Squad, 1x Saboteur surrendered
3x Buggy, 1x Scorpion (all critically damaged) escaped; presume 2x Harvester escaped as well
Pitbull #1, #2 critically damaged (88%, 92%); Infantry Squad #8 has taken 85% casualties
Other units have sustained minor damage
APC #9 is now veteran
Pitbull #1 is now elite driver
EVA Report Follows:
Current Objectives:
Prevent unauthorized ground access to grid sectors A4, A5 (primary command directive)
Protect Power Plant, Prison Complex in sector A5 (primary command directive)
Protect Prison Complex in sector A4 (primary command directive)
Provide any reasonable assistance to InOps (secondary command directive)
- Prepare transport and escort for prisoner convoy heading south (completed, APCs will return in 24 hours)
Provide any reasonable assistance to Diplomatic Corps (secondary command directive; danger)
- Repair A2->A3 bridge using an engineering squad (suspended)
- Ensure Diplomatic Corps representative safety
Provide assistance to 359th Mechanized Infantry Platoon (hostile forces repelled; AA installation sweep on-going; completion time unknown)
Base Status:
Power: 125/300 (normally 115/400)
Housing: 0/28 (normally 4)
Building Slots B4: 0/8
Building Slots B5: 0/8
Building Slots B6: 4/8
Building Slots D4: 2/6 (light Tiberium concentration)
Credits: 2479
Infantry Requisition Capacity: 4
Vehicle Requisition Capacity: 1
Infantry/Engineers can change loadout at B4, B5 or B6.
Vehicles can change loadout at B4.
Tiberium Storage Capacity: 1600/4000
Tiberium Income:
D4: +1500/turn (estimated 1 more turns)
B7: +50/turn
Buildings:
- Power Plant, Barracks at A2 (disconnected)
- Prison Complex, MG Sentry Tower, Sandbags at A4 (disconnected)
- Power Plant, Prison Complex, AA Emplacement, Sandbags at A5 (disconnected)
- Power Plant at A7 (disconnected)
- Construction Yard, Power Plant, Barracks x3, War Factory, Sandbags at B4
- Construction Yard, 2x Silo, Power Plant, Barracks x2, Command Center, Sandbags, MG Sentry Tower at B5; All installations disabled for 24 hours due to EMP warhead detonation
- Outpost, Barracks, Silo, Power Plant at B6
- Outpost, Power Plant, Tiberium Refinery, Sandbags at D4
- Power Plant, Sandbags, Railgun turret at C5 (disconnected)
Miscellaneous Options (pick any number, these do not take construction slots)
[] Satellite/Radar Scan: -300 Credits, Reveals contents of 1 grid sector including stealthed units (limit 1)
Request command task a satellite to take a picture of the designated grid sector; have your command post crew analyze the data and coordinate comms. This will let you get a good picture of what's going on in your area of operations without having to send troops in.
[] Deploy Minefield: -300 credits, maybe picked once per active APC anywhere along its route
Have your APCs lay active mines in strategic locations, which will, at the very least, cause you to be definitively alerted when Nod forces attempt to enter the area.
-[] Designate sectors
Construction Options (Pick 2, may double up, may 'queue up' buildings until other pre-conditions are met):
[] Power Plant: +100 Power, -1 Building Slot, -500 Credits
You've got plenty of power right now.
[] Barracks: +4 Housing, -15 Power, -1 Building Slot, -500 Credits
You've given yourself some more breathing room with the recent construction of a barracks in B6, so you should be good to go for a little while.
-[] Write-in sector(s)
[] Surveyor: -1500 Credits; Allows set-up of remote bases in grid sectors without construction yards
You don't feel a need to expand your base right this second - between your new expansion site and continued Tiberium clearance operations in D4, you're not hurting for space too bad.
[] Command Post: -1000 Credits; -50 Power, -1 Building Slot, +Commander Bonus, Detection of Non-Cloaked units within 1 grid square; Unlocks one RADAR Scan ability use per command post per turn.
The discovery of a Nod ops center means that you'll need more power to cut through the ECM and other nonsense they've started hitting you with.
[] Tiberium Refinery: -2000 Credits, -40 Power, 2 Building Slots (no free harvester)
The planned base expansion in B6 is an ok place to put one of these; harvesting will be a little slow even with two harvesters, but it'll contribute to your bank. You will need to do this in the medium term, as the income from your D4 harvesting operation will slow down by 50% within a couple of days.
[] Tiberium Silo: -100 Credits, -10 Power, -1 Building Slot
You're pretty good for Tiberium storage at the moment.
[] War Factory: -2000 Credits, -40 Power, -2 Building Slots, +2 vehicle requisition capacity, repairs all vehicles in grid square, allows vehicles in grid square to swap loadout
The base expansion in B6 is a pretty good place to put one of these so you can requisition additional vehicles a little more rapidly.
-[] Write-in sector(s)
[] Defensive Turret: -600 Credits, -10 Power, Detects Stealth
Now that you've got a command post set up, you can build defensive turrets. As usual, there are three varieties - anti-infantry machine gun, anti-tank railgun and anti-air quad cannon or surface-to-air missile. Your choices for location are the harvesting operation, B6 expansion or your main base sectors.
-[] Machine Gun; +5 vs infantry
-[] Railgun; +10 vs vehicles
-[] AA installation; +10 vs aircraft; -10 vs others
[] Sandbags: -500 Credits, +5 to all defensive infantry rolls in sector
Your new outpost could use some sandbags to reinforce your infantry fighting positions; other than that, that's enough sandbags for now.
Requisition Options (unavailable this turn unless another barracks is built due to EMP blast disabling some of your existing structures):
Infantry Requisition Options: Pick between 0 and 4, may pick each option multiple times
New troops will arrive next turn. Make sure to designate an arrival location with a barracks (B4, B5, B6)
[] Infantry Squad: -450 credits (10% discount), -1 housing.
You've got more APCs than infantry, and you have a big base to defend against an unknown amount of Nod forces; infantry excel at defensive engagements, therefore you feel some infantry would be a good investment.
-[] Standard loadout
-[] 3x grenade launcher: +15 vs infantry, -15 vs armored units/aircraft
-[] 3x rocket launcher: +15 vs vehicles/aircraft, -15 vs infantry
[] Engineering Squad: -450 credits (10% discount), -1 housing
You may want to re-activate that other Tiberium spike in sector B7, reinforce your buildings if they come under attack, or carry out field repairs on your vehicles without having them return to the war factory. Or carry out an in-person evaluation of that bridge between A2 and A3. To those ends, an engineering squad is exactly what the doctor ordered.
-[] Standard loadout: 1 vehicle repair/turn; can capture/reinforce buildings
-[] Additional repair gear: can repair 2 vehicles per turn; cannot interact with buildings
Vehicle Requisition Options: Pick 0 or 1
New vehicle will arrive at B4 next turn.
[] Guardian APC: -600 credits, -1 housing, 3 speed
You can never go wrong with a Guardian APC, with its flexible turret mount, good speed and reasonable armor protection. With shipments of ablative armor plating coming in, you can mount it on your vehicles if you choose.
Loadout options (1 weapon slot):
-[] Rotary cannon (default): +10 vs infantry, -5 vs armored units
-[] Guided missiles: -5 vs infantry, +10 vs fast units/aircraft
-[] Grenade launcher: +15 vs infantry, -15 vs armored units/aircraft
-[] Ablative Plating: Negates damage from first laser attack; costs 50 credits (does not take a weapon slot)
[] Pitbull: -600 credits, -1 housing, 4 speed, detects stealthed units, +10 vs aircraft, -10 vs infantry
This fast little recon vehicle has two purposes - one, to fire guided missiles at vehicles and aircraft and two, to detect Nod stealth units with its advanced sensor system. It can also be shipped with a mounted mortar for an additional resource cost.
Add-on options:
-[] Mortar: Secondary weapon, +10 vs infantry/buildings, may engage two units simultaneously, costs additional 100 credits
-[] Ablative Plating: Negates damage from first laser attack; costs 50 credits
[] Predator: -800 credits, -1 housing, 2 speed, support attacks vs this unit do not take a penalty, +20 vs vehicles, hit points at 125%.
This heavily armored tank's railgun can punch through just about any armor the brotherhood can bring to bear and can target fast-moving vehicles effectively due to the projectile's incredible launch velocity, but it struggles against infantry and fixed defenses. Its armor is pretty thick, but designers opted to put most of it in the front of the tank, so it performs best when it has support.
-[] Ablative Plating: Negates damage from first laser attack; costs 50 credits
Graphical Representation of Operational Area:
Forgotten Territory Status:
GDI access is forbidden to the following sectors: A2, A7
Tiberium harvesting is forbidden in the following sectors: A1, A3
Mine-laying is forbidden in any sector adjacent to a Forgotten village
Attempting to capture/re-activate Tiberium spikes in B2 is forbidden at this time
Current Force Status:
---
You spend a few minutes pondering whether to give Sabuur access to the Tiberium monitoring data, as well as location history of your units to prove you didn't take the A1 Tiberium. On the one hand, if the Forgotten are actually inclined to negotiate, it'll help Sabuur immensely to have actual evidence on hand. On the other hand, if the individuals in A2 are aligned with Nod, you're basically giving them a list of what you had as of seven days ago. Not the most current information, but still, it's a pretty major breach of information security.
[] Give Sabuur the Tib/Unit location data
[] Have him attempt to negotiate without it
The ablative plating turned out to be not very worthwhile against this particular opposing force, although it did save one of your APC's bacon from a trigger happy Saboteur with a laser gun. Your Predator crew is rightly proud of themselves, having routed one Scorpion tank and scored a complete kill on another. Overall, you're content with your forces' performance in that battle.
The next decision you'll be making is whether to push on to D8. You've got three APCs, one moderately damaged, an engineering + infantry squad, and the Predator tank with moderate damage. Your estimation is that you'll be facing one or two turrets, a loose infantry squad and probably five or six squads of "non-combatants", along with whatever trickery the Ops Center is able to unleash (likely more holograms and maybe another EMP warhead, or maybe some laser fencing they may install around their buildings). You could attack right away, which will minimize the odds of them packing it in and escaping with the MCV. On the down side, you're likely to be slightly outnumbered in raw terms and your vehicles are mostly not equipped for anti-infantry combat, but the guys operating the buildings aren't exactly packing with top-of-the-line equipment.
The second approach is to wait for your APC in B7 to bring in the second engineering squad. That way you could capture a couple of the buildings (maybe even the Ops Center) to reduce the amount of "support mechanisms" coming your way. This will ensure that you're not outnumbered, but will give Nod more time to pack it in and evacuate.
The third approach is to wait a whole day until the APCs you detached to InOps return, carry out some repairs, then roll in. You're virtually guaranteed a victory in that scenario, except that you're also virtually guaranteed that the Nod force will have fled. It's not too big a deal - at this point, there's almost no way that they can threaten your position, but it's the principle of the thing.
[] Attack immediately
[] Attack with small delay
[] Attack with large delay
If attacking this turn, nominate capture target for engineer squad:
[] Construction Yard
[] Ops Center
[] Power Plant
[] Hand of Nod
[x] Plan Investigations and punking Nod.
-[x] Barracks: +4 Housing, -15 Power, -1 Building Slot, -500 Credits
--[x] B6
-[x] Pitbull: -600 credits, -1 housing, 4 speed, detects stealthed units, +10 vs aircraft, -10 vs infantry
-[x] Mortar: Secondary weapon, +10 vs infantry/buildings, may engage two units simultaneously, costs additional 100 credits
-[x] Ablative Plating: Negates damage from first laser attack; costs 50 credits
-[x] Confirm attack now; roughly 1:1 numbers; slight odds advantage in your favor
-[x] Bring the engineer squad to capture a structure
--[x] Refinery
-[x] Figure something else out, you've got 48 hours before the deadline.
--[x] Analyize Tiberium monitoring satellite data to see if the Forgotten are full of crap
T+0
Harvesters harvest + return in D4 (+1500, 3979 total)
Spike income (+50)
Pitbull arrives in B4 (-750)
Barracks in B6 (-500, 2779 total)
APC #9, #10, Inf #4, #8: C5 -> C6
APC #6: B5 -> B6
Predator #2: B4 -> B5
T+1
APC #9, #10, Inf #4, #8: C6 -> C7
Predator #1, APC #15, Pitbull #1, E-Squad #2: B7 -> B8
Predator #2: B5 -> B6
APC #6: B6 -> B7
T+2
APC #9, #10, Inf #4, #8: C7 -> C8
Predator #1, APC #15, Pitbull #1, #2, E-Squad #2: B7 -> B8
Stealthed harvester detected!
Enemy force engaged:
2x Tank (dozer blades), 4x Buggy mg, 2x Reckoner (dozer blades), 2x Saboteur, 2x Rocket Militant
1x Anti-tank turret
Radar jammer warhead hits C5; comms bonus from command post negated
[I'm a dumbass and forgot the raw logs, so here are the summaries instead]
Pitbull inflicts heavy damage on Scorpion tank and turret; knocks turret out temporarily.
Ablative plating degrades due to conventional weapons fire
Pitbull #2 takes minor damage
Sensor disruption prevents real time updates
T+3
Satellite scan C8 (-300); comms bonus re-instated
Engineer Squad captures refinery
Pitbull #1 destroys Reckoner
Pitbull #2 severely damaged;retreating
Predator severely damages Scorpion #2
Rocket APC #15 critically damages Buggy #2
T+4
Engineer Squad self-destructs refinery
Nod uses holo-cloak (-500): 50% chance attacked unit does not take damage
APC #9 lucks out, messes up buggy #3
Predator hits hologram instead (Scorpion #1 no longer has hologram)
APC #15 lucks out, messes up buggy #4 (withdrawing)
ISquad #8 lucks out, damages Reckoner #2
Pitbull withdraws
T+5
APC #9 ablative plating actually absorbs a nasty laser hit
Predator destroys Scorpion #1
Pitbull whiffs on Buggy #1 hologram
APC #10 whiffs on Reckoner #2
ISquad #8 whiffs on Militant #1
T+6
Buggy #1 hologram gone;
APC #10 critically damages Reckoner #2 (no hologram)
Pitbull blows up Buggy #3, whiffs on Saboteur #1
APC #9 blows up Reckoner #2
Predator targets factory, kills some non-combatants; the rest run
ISquad #4 destroys turret
Rocket APC plows Reckoner debris with rocket, forces Militant #2 to withdraw
ISquad #8 takes critical casualties;retreating
T+7
Predator destroys construction yard
Pitbull takes heavy laser damage; forced to withdraw, but blows away a Saboteur
Remaining infantry surrenders
-[x] Barracks: +4 Housing, -15 Power, -1 Building Slot, -500 Credits
--[x] B6
-[x] Pitbull: -600 credits, -1 housing, 4 speed, detects stealthed units, +10 vs aircraft, -10 vs infantry
-[x] Mortar: Secondary weapon, +10 vs infantry/buildings, may engage two units simultaneously, costs additional 100 credits
-[x] Ablative Plating: Negates damage from first laser attack; costs 50 credits
-[x] Confirm attack now; roughly 1:1 numbers; slight odds advantage in your favor
-[x] Bring the engineer squad to capture a structure
--[x] Refinery
-[x] Figure something else out, you've got 48 hours before the deadline.
--[x] Analyize Tiberium monitoring satellite data to see if the Forgotten are full of crap
T+0
Harvesters harvest + return in D4 (+1500, 3979 total)
Spike income (+50)
Pitbull arrives in B4 (-750)
Barracks in B6 (-500, 2779 total)
APC #9, #10, Inf #4, #8: C5 -> C6
APC #6: B5 -> B6
Predator #2: B4 -> B5
T+1
APC #9, #10, Inf #4, #8: C6 -> C7
Predator #1, APC #15, Pitbull #1, E-Squad #2: B7 -> B8
Predator #2: B5 -> B6
APC #6: B6 -> B7
T+2
APC #9, #10, Inf #4, #8: C7 -> C8
Predator #1, APC #15, Pitbull #1, #2, E-Squad #2: B7 -> B8
Stealthed harvester detected!
Enemy force engaged:
2x Tank (dozer blades), 4x Buggy mg, 2x Reckoner (dozer blades), 2x Saboteur, 2x Rocket Militant
1x Anti-tank turret
Radar jammer warhead hits C5; comms bonus from command post negated
[I'm a dumbass and forgot the raw logs, so here are the summaries instead]
Pitbull inflicts heavy damage on Scorpion tank and turret; knocks turret out temporarily.
Ablative plating degrades due to conventional weapons fire
Pitbull #2 takes minor damage
Sensor disruption prevents real time updates
T+3
Satellite scan C8 (-300); comms bonus re-instated
Engineer Squad captures refinery
Pitbull #1 destroys Reckoner
Pitbull #2 severely damaged;retreating
Predator severely damages Scorpion #2
Rocket APC #15 critically damages Buggy #2
T+4
Engineer Squad self-destructs refinery
Nod uses holo-cloak (-500): 50% chance attacked unit does not take damage
APC #9 lucks out, messes up buggy #3
Predator hits hologram instead (Scorpion #1 no longer has hologram)
APC #15 lucks out, messes up buggy #4 (withdrawing)
ISquad #8 lucks out, damages Reckoner #2
Pitbull withdraws
T+5
APC #9 ablative plating actually absorbs a nasty laser hit
Predator destroys Scorpion #1
Pitbull whiffs on Buggy #1 hologram
APC #10 whiffs on Reckoner #2
ISquad #8 whiffs on Militant #1
T+6
Buggy #1 hologram gone;
APC #10 critically damages Reckoner #2 (no hologram)
Pitbull blows up Buggy #3, whiffs on Saboteur #1
APC #9 blows up Reckoner #2
Predator targets factory, kills some non-combatants; the rest run
ISquad #4 destroys turret
Rocket APC plows Reckoner debris with rocket, forces Militant #2 to withdraw
ISquad #8 takes critical casualties;retreating
T+7
Predator destroys construction yard
Pitbull takes heavy laser damage; forced to withdraw, but blows away a Saboteur
Remaining infantry surrenders
October 11, 2058
"EVA, bring up all available Tiberium tracking data from the last fourteen days. Plot relative Tiberium density by sector." You say out loud. In reality, you've already spent the last few hours lining up data requests from the Tiberium tracking satellites - the amount of data you've requested, you expect you've been flagged for "manual review" by InOps. Well, it's for a good cause. The tech you get in touch with at Orbital is very helpful in getting you the scripts you need to sort the data properly. Once you give EVA the raw data, sorted by sector, "she" is actually pretty good at converting it to human-readable format. This is necessary because you lack any kind of intuitive understanding of the raw measurements that the Tiberium satellites take - for example, what the hell does "DCC/MRPX" mean? (You look it up: it's "distinct crystal coefficient per pixel at maximum resolution", which makes your eyes glaze over but it basically boils down to how many crystals there are in each surveillance frame).
"Data visualization... completed. Seven percent drop, adjusted for daily growth, in Tiberium content detected in sector A1 on day five. Ninety-two percent drop, adjusted for daily growth, in Tiberium content... "
"Halt verbal summary." You tell EVA. She's just going to keep talking if you let her - you can read the summary just as well yourself. The bottom line is that both A1 and A6 had small Tiberium content reductions around day five that are unexplained. The other ones, C8 and D4, you have explanations for, and the rest of the Tiberium sectors are behaving as expected.
The difference between the Forgotten outpost at A2 and A7 is that you concluded negotiations with the A7 outpost before the drop in Tiberium content. Do the Forgotten keep that accurate tabs on their Tiberium fields that they can notice an 8% drop in a field from a day's walk away? And what could possibly account for the Tiberium reduction?
The latter, you theorize is some stealthed Nod harvesters. It took you over a week to get some Pitbulls into the area, plenty of time for them to sneak in and steal some Tiberium. They wouldn't be able to pull it off now, of course - you've sealed up the northern sector pretty good with minefields while the southern sector is crawling with your Pitbulls.
The former, you have no idea. Maybe Sabuur does? You go visit him in the medical wing of the barracks.
---
Most of the Forgotten have recovered and have been sent on their way home, or been airlifted to facilities with better medical capability than what you have. Sabuur, though, just needed time.
"What brings you here, Lieutenant?" he says, flashing a tiberium-laced grin. "The doctor tells me I have another day or two before I can walk home."
You nod. "No permanent damage?"
He shakes his head. "All the shrapnel has been removed."
"Right." you sigh. "Uh... remember when Nod attacked your village? You said that they were closer than we thought."
He nods, his grin slowly dissolving.
"You were right, satellite data showed that additional Nod force to the east." you continue. "You said that the crystal told you. How?"
He shrugs. "I don't know. But some of us can sense ... when large amounts of activity occurs on the ground in Tiberium fields."
"I see." You say, although you really don't. "Some kind of vibration sensitivity?"
"It's hard to explain." He answers.
You sigh. "Some of your fellow Forgotten... have kidnapped Karpov." Sabuur raises an eyebrow in confusion. "The negotiator that first came to your outpost." Sabuur lowers his eyebrow as recognition returns to his face.
"They demand some prisoner that we supposedly have be returned to them, and they appear angry at some of their Tiberium disappearing." You continue. "We didn't take it. I've got the traffic logs that prove that none of my troops went into that field. It's got to be stealthed Nod units, but ... " you hesitate.
"... you don't know if they will believe you." Sabuur finishes. "You want me to talk to them."
"Yes. Please." You ask, pleading. "They've given me a seventy two hour deadline... now down to less than forty eight. Even if I wanted to, I can't give them a prisoner not in my custody. If they can't be convinced to back down... " you shake your head. "It's not going to end well."
Sabuur nods. "I'll see what I can do. Let me have comms access and the relevant data."
You think about it. But you get distracted a little bit.
---
T+2
"Short-range ballistic missile detected on approach trajectory. ETA... ten seconds." your EVA informs you just as your forces engage the Nod outpost in C8.
"Destination?" You call out, nervously, hoping to get a warning out to whoever is about to get plastered.
"Sector C5. Prepare for detonation."
You cringe, and brace yourself. It turns out to be "just" a low-yield EMP warhead, which detonates directly above your base. The lights and screens flicker, then you hear the backup generators spinning up and your RADAR screens go fuzzy while your comms are filled with static.
"EVA, go to backup systems now. Route comms via satellite if necessary or possible."
This disruption forces you to use a mixture of "real-time" camera feeds from your units and satellite feeds; it takes you a few minutes to get used to it.
T+3
By the time you're "back in the game", your engineering squad has entered the refinery; they were briefly stymied by a Nod buggy, but that vehicle is driven off by one of your rocket-equipped APCs.
Overall, the proportion of laser-equipped units in the Nod force is pretty low, so your ablative plating is mostly fodder for projectile weaponry. One of your pitbulls takes several rockets from infantry inside a "deployed" Reckoner and is forced to retreat, trailing smoke andplating. Said Reckoner, however, eats a mortar round directly to the top of the vehicle, basically splitting it in half.
You watch your Predator rotate its turret and peg a Scorpion tank directly through the front armor, the slug going through one of the bulldozer blades in the front and embedding itself somewhere within the enemy tank. It belches smoke out of the opening and reverses, backing off the battlefield.
T+4
To your dismay, the remaining Nod force suddenly multiplies into two, as vehicles and external infantry split into two.
"Holographic field activation... detected." EVA informs you.
"Thanks." You mutter. "All units, enemy is using holograms. Pitbull, see if you can clean some of that up."
"Roger that." comes the response. Your APCs and infantry wind up performing pretty well with the Pitbull's help - while the recon vehicle has to hang back a bit, its advanced sensors help your APCs rout a pair of buggies. Your Predator tank, however, scores a dead center hit on the second Scorpion tank - too bad it was a hologram. At least the hologram disappers.
Still, at this point, you've accomplished the main goal you'd set for yourself - the Engineering squad reports that they have triggered the self-destruct sequence on the refinery and are making their way to the exit.
T+5
To your amazement, one of your APCs still has some ablative plating left, and it absorbs a direct hit from a Saboteur's laser pistol - the hit would definitely have pentrated the Guardian's armor if not for the plating. Your Pitbull is somewhat distracted having to evade a strafing run by one of the remaining buggies, and so your APCs and infantry mostly hit holograms; except for your Predator, which puts a railgun round through the remaining Scorpion tank, turning it into an immobilized wreck.
T+6
At this point, it's all over but the screaming. With the hologram count greatly depleted, the remaining Nod forces are now outnumbered, and the Nod commander empties his buildings, forcing the remaining non-combatants into the field. Your Predator keeps some non-combatants suppressed inside the factory while your APCs team up on a Reckoner, blowing it away, along with most of the infantry inside it.
Your infantry squads carry out a successful demolition of the damaged anti-tank turret, although some non-combatants from the nearby construction yard spray your people down with small arms fire, inflicting several casualties.
T+7
The remaining saboteur lasers your Pitbull as it mortars some more Nod infantry, forcing your vehicle to disengage, but as the construction yard comes down from the Predator's railgun fire, what's left is maybe two infantry squads' worth of light troopers, who emerge from their smoldering buildings and fighting positions with hands raised.
You unclench your hands and teeth, congratulating your troops on a job well done, then go outside to survey the damage to your base. But not for too long - you'll need to decide soon whether to push your troops on and see if you can wipe out the remainder of the Nod base in D8.
Battle results:
Nod base in C8 destroyed
2x Reckoner, 1x Scorpion, 1x Buggy, 1x Militant Squad, 1x Saboteur destroyed;
1x Militant Squad, 1x Saboteur surrendered
3x Buggy, 1x Scorpion (all critically damaged) escaped; presume 2x Harvester escaped as well
Pitbull #1, #2 critically damaged (88%, 92%); Infantry Squad #8 has taken 85% casualties
Other units have sustained minor damage
APC #9 is now veteran
Pitbull #1 is now elite driver
EVA Report Follows:
Current Objectives:
Prevent unauthorized ground access to grid sectors A4, A5 (primary command directive)
Protect Power Plant, Prison Complex in sector A5 (primary command directive)
Protect Prison Complex in sector A4 (primary command directive)
Provide any reasonable assistance to InOps (secondary command directive)
- Prepare transport and escort for prisoner convoy heading south (completed, APCs will return in 24 hours)
Provide any reasonable assistance to Diplomatic Corps (secondary command directive; danger)
- Repair A2->A3 bridge using an engineering squad (suspended)
- Ensure Diplomatic Corps representative safety
Provide assistance to 359th Mechanized Infantry Platoon (hostile forces repelled; AA installation sweep on-going; completion time unknown)
Base Status:
Power: 125/300 (normally 115/400)
Housing: 0/28 (normally 4)
Building Slots B4: 0/8
Building Slots B5: 0/8
Building Slots B6: 4/8
Building Slots D4: 2/6 (light Tiberium concentration)
Credits: 2479
Infantry Requisition Capacity: 4
Vehicle Requisition Capacity: 1
Infantry/Engineers can change loadout at B4, B5 or B6.
Vehicles can change loadout at B4.
Tiberium Storage Capacity: 1600/4000
Tiberium Income:
D4: +1500/turn (estimated 1 more turns)
B7: +50/turn
Buildings:
- Power Plant, Barracks at A2 (disconnected)
- Prison Complex, MG Sentry Tower, Sandbags at A4 (disconnected)
- Power Plant, Prison Complex, AA Emplacement, Sandbags at A5 (disconnected)
- Power Plant at A7 (disconnected)
- Construction Yard, Power Plant, Barracks x3, War Factory, Sandbags at B4
- Construction Yard, 2x Silo, Power Plant, Barracks x2, Command Center, Sandbags, MG Sentry Tower at B5; All installations disabled for 24 hours due to EMP warhead detonation
- Outpost, Barracks, Silo, Power Plant at B6
- Outpost, Power Plant, Tiberium Refinery, Sandbags at D4
- Power Plant, Sandbags, Railgun turret at C5 (disconnected)
Miscellaneous Options (pick any number, these do not take construction slots)
[] Satellite/Radar Scan: -300 Credits, Reveals contents of 1 grid sector including stealthed units (limit 1)
Request command task a satellite to take a picture of the designated grid sector; have your command post crew analyze the data and coordinate comms. This will let you get a good picture of what's going on in your area of operations without having to send troops in.
[] Deploy Minefield: -300 credits, maybe picked once per active APC anywhere along its route
Have your APCs lay active mines in strategic locations, which will, at the very least, cause you to be definitively alerted when Nod forces attempt to enter the area.
-[] Designate sectors
Construction Options (Pick 2, may double up, may 'queue up' buildings until other pre-conditions are met):
[] Power Plant: +100 Power, -1 Building Slot, -500 Credits
You've got plenty of power right now.
[] Barracks: +4 Housing, -15 Power, -1 Building Slot, -500 Credits
You've given yourself some more breathing room with the recent construction of a barracks in B6, so you should be good to go for a little while.
-[] Write-in sector(s)
[] Surveyor: -1500 Credits; Allows set-up of remote bases in grid sectors without construction yards
You don't feel a need to expand your base right this second - between your new expansion site and continued Tiberium clearance operations in D4, you're not hurting for space too bad.
[] Command Post: -1000 Credits; -50 Power, -1 Building Slot, +Commander Bonus, Detection of Non-Cloaked units within 1 grid square; Unlocks one RADAR Scan ability use per command post per turn.
The discovery of a Nod ops center means that you'll need more power to cut through the ECM and other nonsense they've started hitting you with.
[] Tiberium Refinery: -2000 Credits, -40 Power, 2 Building Slots (no free harvester)
The planned base expansion in B6 is an ok place to put one of these; harvesting will be a little slow even with two harvesters, but it'll contribute to your bank. You will need to do this in the medium term, as the income from your D4 harvesting operation will slow down by 50% within a couple of days.
[] Tiberium Silo: -100 Credits, -10 Power, -1 Building Slot
You're pretty good for Tiberium storage at the moment.
[] War Factory: -2000 Credits, -40 Power, -2 Building Slots, +2 vehicle requisition capacity, repairs all vehicles in grid square, allows vehicles in grid square to swap loadout
The base expansion in B6 is a pretty good place to put one of these so you can requisition additional vehicles a little more rapidly.
-[] Write-in sector(s)
[] Defensive Turret: -600 Credits, -10 Power, Detects Stealth
Now that you've got a command post set up, you can build defensive turrets. As usual, there are three varieties - anti-infantry machine gun, anti-tank railgun and anti-air quad cannon or surface-to-air missile. Your choices for location are the harvesting operation, B6 expansion or your main base sectors.
-[] Machine Gun; +5 vs infantry
-[] Railgun; +10 vs vehicles
-[] AA installation; +10 vs aircraft; -10 vs others
[] Sandbags: -500 Credits, +5 to all defensive infantry rolls in sector
Your new outpost could use some sandbags to reinforce your infantry fighting positions; other than that, that's enough sandbags for now.
Requisition Options (unavailable this turn unless another barracks is built due to EMP blast disabling some of your existing structures):
Infantry Requisition Options: Pick between 0 and 4, may pick each option multiple times
New troops will arrive next turn. Make sure to designate an arrival location with a barracks (B4, B5, B6)
[] Infantry Squad: -450 credits (10% discount), -1 housing.
You've got more APCs than infantry, and you have a big base to defend against an unknown amount of Nod forces; infantry excel at defensive engagements, therefore you feel some infantry would be a good investment.
-[] Standard loadout
-[] 3x grenade launcher: +15 vs infantry, -15 vs armored units/aircraft
-[] 3x rocket launcher: +15 vs vehicles/aircraft, -15 vs infantry
[] Engineering Squad: -450 credits (10% discount), -1 housing
You may want to re-activate that other Tiberium spike in sector B7, reinforce your buildings if they come under attack, or carry out field repairs on your vehicles without having them return to the war factory. Or carry out an in-person evaluation of that bridge between A2 and A3. To those ends, an engineering squad is exactly what the doctor ordered.
-[] Standard loadout: 1 vehicle repair/turn; can capture/reinforce buildings
-[] Additional repair gear: can repair 2 vehicles per turn; cannot interact with buildings
Vehicle Requisition Options: Pick 0 or 1
New vehicle will arrive at B4 next turn.
[] Guardian APC: -600 credits, -1 housing, 3 speed
You can never go wrong with a Guardian APC, with its flexible turret mount, good speed and reasonable armor protection. With shipments of ablative armor plating coming in, you can mount it on your vehicles if you choose.
Loadout options (1 weapon slot):
-[] Rotary cannon (default): +10 vs infantry, -5 vs armored units
-[] Guided missiles: -5 vs infantry, +10 vs fast units/aircraft
-[] Grenade launcher: +15 vs infantry, -15 vs armored units/aircraft
-[] Ablative Plating: Negates damage from first laser attack; costs 50 credits (does not take a weapon slot)
[] Pitbull: -600 credits, -1 housing, 4 speed, detects stealthed units, +10 vs aircraft, -10 vs infantry
This fast little recon vehicle has two purposes - one, to fire guided missiles at vehicles and aircraft and two, to detect Nod stealth units with its advanced sensor system. It can also be shipped with a mounted mortar for an additional resource cost.
Add-on options:
-[] Mortar: Secondary weapon, +10 vs infantry/buildings, may engage two units simultaneously, costs additional 100 credits
-[] Ablative Plating: Negates damage from first laser attack; costs 50 credits
[] Predator: -800 credits, -1 housing, 2 speed, support attacks vs this unit do not take a penalty, +20 vs vehicles, hit points at 125%.
This heavily armored tank's railgun can punch through just about any armor the brotherhood can bring to bear and can target fast-moving vehicles effectively due to the projectile's incredible launch velocity, but it struggles against infantry and fixed defenses. Its armor is pretty thick, but designers opted to put most of it in the front of the tank, so it performs best when it has support.
-[] Ablative Plating: Negates damage from first laser attack; costs 50 credits
Graphical Representation of Operational Area:
| A1: Flat, Lake Tiberium Field (13x) No Recent Recon Data | B1: Flat Minefield | C1: Flat, Lake Minefield | D1: Flat Minefield |
| A2: Rocky/Urban Forgotten Outpost (5x Building) Power Plant, Barracks 2x Light Forgotten Infantry --------| |-------- | B2: Flat, Tiberium Spike (4x) No Recent Recon Data (48 hours) | C2: Rocky No Recent Recon Data | D2: Flat Minefield |
--------| |-------- A3: Tiberium Field (13x)No Recent Recon Data -------------------- | B3: Flat No Recent Recon Data (48 hours) | C3: Flat No Recent Recon Data ---------------------------- | D3: Flat Tiberium Field (12x) Minefield ------------| |------------ |
--------------------- |A4: Flat|Prison Complex; |Sandbags, Sentry Tower (mg) | | | B4: Flat Construction Yard, 2x Silo, Power Plant, Barracks, War Factory, Sandbags; 1x Pitbull | |---------------------------- | - C4: Flat -No Recent Recon Data | | | | ------------| |------------ D4: Flat Outpost, Refinery Power Plant, Sandbags Tiberium Field (2x) 2x Harvester |
| |A5: Flat |Prison Complex; |Sandbags, AA Turret |Power Plant --------------------- | B5: Flat Construction Yard, 2x Silo, Power Plant, Barracks x2, Command Center, Sandbags, Sentry Tower (mg) Commander Location | | C5: Rocky/Urban | Forgotten Outpost (6x Building) | Power Plant, Railgun Turret | | | D5: Flat Tiberium Field (6x) No Recent Recon Data (24 hours) |
| A6: Flat Tiberium Field (13x) No Recent Recon Data | B6: Flat Outpost, Barracks x2, Silo, Power Plant 2x Infantry Squad (1 gl) Predator Tank | C6: Flat | |D6: Flat |Tiberium Field (11x) | No Recent Recon Data |-------------------------- |
| A7: Rocky/Urban Forgotten Outpost (7x Building) Power Plant | B7: Rocky Tiberium Spike x2 1x Engineer Squad 1x Guardian APC | C7: Flat Tiberium Field (10x) | D7: Flat No Recent Recon Data (24 hours) |
| A8: Lake, Steep Shore No Ground Unit Access | B8: Flat | C8: Flat 3x Guardian APC 1x Infantry Squad 1x Infantry Squad (critical damage) 1x Engineer Squad 2x Pitbull (critical damage) 1x Predator Tank | D8: Flat Nod Base Detected (72 hours ago) Construction Yard 2x Power Plant, Hand of Nod Ops Center, 1x Turret |
Forgotten Territory Status:
GDI access is forbidden to the following sectors: A2, A7
Tiberium harvesting is forbidden in the following sectors: A1, A3
Mine-laying is forbidden in any sector adjacent to a Forgotten village
Attempting to capture/re-activate Tiberium spikes in B2 is forbidden at this time
Current Force Status:
APC #1: Elite, Minigun - remote, repairs pending
APC #2: Elite, Guided Rocket - remote, repairs pending
APC #3: Elite, Guided Rocket - remote, repairs pending
APC #4: Elite driver/Veteran gunner, Minigun - remote, repairs pending
Infantry Squad #1: Veteran - remote, repairs pending
Infantry Squad #2: Veteran - remote, repairs pending
Infantry Squad #3: Veteran - remote, repairs pending
Engineering Squad #1: Repair, Tune-up, Veteran - remote, repairs pending
APC #5: Minigun - remote, repairs pending
APC #11: Minigun - remote, repairs pending
APC #13: Minigun - remote, repairs pending
APC #14: Minigun - remote, repairs pending
Infantry #6: - remote, repairs pending
Infantry #7: - remote, repairs pending
Garrison:
Predator: - 40/125 damage, C8
Predator #2: Ablative Plating - B6
Pitbull: Rocket, Mortar, Elite driver/Veteran gunner - 88% damage, C8
Pitbull #2: Rocket, Mortar - 92% damage, C8
Pitbull #3: Ablative Plating, Mortar - B4
APC #6: Rocket, Veteran - B7
APC #7: Minigun, Veteran - detached to InOps, returning to B8 in 1 day
APC #8: Rocket - detached to InOps, returning to B8 in 1 day
APC #9: Rocket, Veteran - 18% damage, C8
APC #10: Minigun, Veteran - 12% damage, C8
APC #15: Rocket - 40% damage, C8
Engineering Squad: Dug In, B7
Engineering Squad #2: C8
Infantry #4: Veteran - 6% damage, C8
Infantry #8: Veteran - 85% damage, C8
Infantry #9: Grenade Launchers - Dug In, B6
Infantry #10: - Dug In, B6
APC #2: Elite, Guided Rocket - remote, repairs pending
APC #3: Elite, Guided Rocket - remote, repairs pending
APC #4: Elite driver/Veteran gunner, Minigun - remote, repairs pending
Infantry Squad #1: Veteran - remote, repairs pending
Infantry Squad #2: Veteran - remote, repairs pending
Infantry Squad #3: Veteran - remote, repairs pending
Engineering Squad #1: Repair, Tune-up, Veteran - remote, repairs pending
APC #5: Minigun - remote, repairs pending
APC #11: Minigun - remote, repairs pending
APC #13: Minigun - remote, repairs pending
APC #14: Minigun - remote, repairs pending
Infantry #6: - remote, repairs pending
Infantry #7: - remote, repairs pending
Garrison:
Predator: - 40/125 damage, C8
Predator #2: Ablative Plating - B6
Pitbull: Rocket, Mortar, Elite driver/Veteran gunner - 88% damage, C8
Pitbull #2: Rocket, Mortar - 92% damage, C8
Pitbull #3: Ablative Plating, Mortar - B4
APC #6: Rocket, Veteran - B7
APC #7: Minigun, Veteran - detached to InOps, returning to B8 in 1 day
APC #8: Rocket - detached to InOps, returning to B8 in 1 day
APC #9: Rocket, Veteran - 18% damage, C8
APC #10: Minigun, Veteran - 12% damage, C8
APC #15: Rocket - 40% damage, C8
Engineering Squad: Dug In, B7
Engineering Squad #2: C8
Infantry #4: Veteran - 6% damage, C8
Infantry #8: Veteran - 85% damage, C8
Infantry #9: Grenade Launchers - Dug In, B6
Infantry #10: - Dug In, B6
---
You spend a few minutes pondering whether to give Sabuur access to the Tiberium monitoring data, as well as location history of your units to prove you didn't take the A1 Tiberium. On the one hand, if the Forgotten are actually inclined to negotiate, it'll help Sabuur immensely to have actual evidence on hand. On the other hand, if the individuals in A2 are aligned with Nod, you're basically giving them a list of what you had as of seven days ago. Not the most current information, but still, it's a pretty major breach of information security.
[] Give Sabuur the Tib/Unit location data
[] Have him attempt to negotiate without it
The ablative plating turned out to be not very worthwhile against this particular opposing force, although it did save one of your APC's bacon from a trigger happy Saboteur with a laser gun. Your Predator crew is rightly proud of themselves, having routed one Scorpion tank and scored a complete kill on another. Overall, you're content with your forces' performance in that battle.
The next decision you'll be making is whether to push on to D8. You've got three APCs, one moderately damaged, an engineering + infantry squad, and the Predator tank with moderate damage. Your estimation is that you'll be facing one or two turrets, a loose infantry squad and probably five or six squads of "non-combatants", along with whatever trickery the Ops Center is able to unleash (likely more holograms and maybe another EMP warhead, or maybe some laser fencing they may install around their buildings). You could attack right away, which will minimize the odds of them packing it in and escaping with the MCV. On the down side, you're likely to be slightly outnumbered in raw terms and your vehicles are mostly not equipped for anti-infantry combat, but the guys operating the buildings aren't exactly packing with top-of-the-line equipment.
The second approach is to wait for your APC in B7 to bring in the second engineering squad. That way you could capture a couple of the buildings (maybe even the Ops Center) to reduce the amount of "support mechanisms" coming your way. This will ensure that you're not outnumbered, but will give Nod more time to pack it in and evacuate.
The third approach is to wait a whole day until the APCs you detached to InOps return, carry out some repairs, then roll in. You're virtually guaranteed a victory in that scenario, except that you're also virtually guaranteed that the Nod force will have fled. It's not too big a deal - at this point, there's almost no way that they can threaten your position, but it's the principle of the thing.
[] Attack immediately
[] Attack with small delay
[] Attack with large delay
If attacking this turn, nominate capture target for engineer squad:
[] Construction Yard
[] Ops Center
[] Power Plant
[] Hand of Nod
Last edited:
- Location
- New England
That table was:
1 - "RADAR Jammer" warhead
2 - Laser Fence
3 - Hologram
They wound up having time to use a second Ops Center ability. Unfortunately for them, that didn't really help enough.
1 - "RADAR Jammer" warhead
2 - Laser Fence
3 - Hologram
They wound up having time to use a second Ops Center ability. Unfortunately for them, that didn't really help enough.
- Pronouns
- He
I say we attack again, keep the pressure up and wipe the NOD forces clear.
Alright I've pondered long enough I think.
[x] Plan Nod Finisher while passing the Buck
-[x] Tiberium Refinery: -2000 Credits, -40 Power, 2 Building Slots (no free harvester)
--[x] B6
-[x] Call your superior officer for guidance and/or reinforcements
--[x] Request authorization to Give Sabuur the Tib/Unit location data
-[x] Attack immediately
--[x] Ops Center
-[x] Write-in: Have B4 Pitbull begin patrolling the B3-B2-C2-C3-C4 area
A bit limited on what we can do since the Tib Refinery is so expensive but with it built we should be set to have decent Tib mining access in two locations.
As for the information, I'm kicking that up the chain of command for approval. We were reprimanded for not asking for permission when providing the Forgotten with medical aid. I do not want a repeat of that.
[x] Plan Nod Finisher while passing the Buck
-[x] Tiberium Refinery: -2000 Credits, -40 Power, 2 Building Slots (no free harvester)
--[x] B6
-[x] Call your superior officer for guidance and/or reinforcements
--[x] Request authorization to Give Sabuur the Tib/Unit location data
-[x] Attack immediately
--[x] Ops Center
-[x] Write-in: Have B4 Pitbull begin patrolling the B3-B2-C2-C3-C4 area
A bit limited on what we can do since the Tib Refinery is so expensive but with it built we should be set to have decent Tib mining access in two locations.
As for the information, I'm kicking that up the chain of command for approval. We were reprimanded for not asking for permission when providing the Forgotten with medical aid. I do not want a repeat of that.
Ace of Scarabs
Mechanoid Pilot
- Location
- Singapore
[x] Plan Nod Finisher while passing the Buck
- Location
- New England
Here we go.
Let's roll a 1d2, and, just in case, a 1d5.
Let's roll a 1d2, and, just in case, a 1d5.
Mission 3, Turn 16: October 12, 2058
- Location
- New England
Raw Plan/Resolution:
October 12, 2058
T+0
"Assault Group C8 - leave the combat-ineffective forces behind and proceed to sector D8. Engineering Squad, capture that Ops center ASAP if you can. APC #6, Engineering Squad #3, load up and proceed to D8 at maximum speed." You instruct, chattering rapid-fire instructions. If you can take out that MCV, that'll completely prevent Nod from even trying to re-build in your area.
Your troops get on it pretty quickly, the engineers and remaining infantry squad loading into their APCs and rolling out, kicking off clouds of dust (and probably little remaining Tiberium particles). It's easy to follow the power cables, and, within a few minutes, your forces engage the Nod units defending C8. The Nod commander must have just finished tossing up a turret, anticipating an attack from your direction, and two rocket squads are dug in to fighting positions, although they've only manage to dig foxholes, rather than setting up sandbags.
As they approach, one of your APCs takes a rocket to the side, belching black smoke. The crew informs you, between coughing fits, that they can't operate their turret, and are pulling back. The Predator tank engages targets with its railgun, but a group of hidden Nod militants pop up from concealment along its route and throw what can only be described as Tiberium-infused Molotov cocktails, the tank quickly becoming covered in bluish-green flame. You're not much of an expert on chemistry, but you do know that blue flame is hotter than red.
A report of "Aaah, shit, that stuff's gotten through the seals!" confirms your assessment of the situation as "not good". The crew gets the fire put out eventually, but everyone's got massive burns and it's all they can do to pull out.
There is a silver lining to all of this, though. While the Nod forces are busy mauling your vehicles, another of your APCs circles around the fortified positions and makes a beeline for the Ops Center. The engineer squad quickly disembarks and makes their way into the building as the APC's gunner holds off some disorganized and poorly-armed infantry. The chatter from the Ops Center penetration crew is positive. Most of the standardized pre-fab buildings that GDI and Nod use have shared layouts, so the practice your teams put in pays off as they quickly make their way to the command center.
---
"Pitbull #3 reporting." comes the transmission. "Encountered unidentified units moving towards our base in sector B3. Looks like Forgotten, about three squads' worth. They're not responding to IFF or comms, so we're assuming they're hostiles. Pulling back into the base, we'll need some backup to hold them before they get in too deep."
You scowl and acknowledge the transmission, ordering your Predator tank in sector B6 to break north with all speed. You wish you'd had time to give Sabuur the tracking and location data, but you haven't even had time to make a call out to your commanding officer yet. And now it's too late, and the "militant" Forgotten are doing something stupid.
T+1
"Predator disengaged. APC #15 disengaged." comes the string of reports from the Nod base in C8. "We're gonna need backup, those bastards are pouring out of the buildings and their construction yard is folding up!"
"Acknowledged." You respond. "APC six is en route, ETA one minute."
"Capture squad reporting." comes a welcome transmission from Ops Center. "We've got control of the command center, nailed at least one officer while breaching. Initiating self-destruct sequence now."
You respond in the affirmative. Sometimes, it may be worthwhile to not do that, but here, you're still outnumbered and your forces have taken casualties. An infantry squad and a pair of APCs maneuver around the Ops Center, intending to extract the engineer squad as soon as they clear the building. The swarming Nod infantry are persistent and inflict heavy casualties on your infantry outside.
---
"Pitbull three here. Engaging Forgotten infantry entering the base. What's the ETA on those reinforcements?"
"Predator tank inbound in sixty seconds." You reply. The Pitbull takes some damage from small arms fire, but is able to use its superior speed and mortar to outmaneuver and suppress the Forgotten infantry.
T+2
You slam your fist on the table as the Nod MCV casually saunters away - none of your troops are able to pursue it as two of your APCs eat multiple rounds from the Nod turrets, and although they're still intact, one of them belches smoke. The surviving infantry squad and the engineer squad emerging from the Ops center board said APCs in preparation for evacuation, while the gunners try to keep some non-combatants penned up inside one of the power plants with suppressive fire.
The APC and another engineering squad arrive from sector B7 and go for the Hand of Nod - the engineering squad eliminates some more "non-combatants" giving your retreating troops a hard time, breaches the door and moves into the facility to plant charges.
---
The arrival of the Predator tank turns the tide, distracting the Forgotten infantry attacking your base in B4 long enough for your Pitbull to drop a mortar round right on top of one of the squads, scattering their remains all over the side of the building they were taking shelter near.
T+3
You look at the situation in C8 soberly - the Nod rocket troopers and turrets are making hash of your APCs while the swarm of "non-combatants" from the remaining nearby buildings doesn't seem to be abating. "All units, disengage when able." You order.
"Charges planted, evacuating. Come pick us up!" The reinforcement engineers announce.
One of your APCs are able to leave the area, transporting the engineer squad that blew up the ops center, while the combat-ineffective infantry squad and casualties are able to make their way out of the area on their own. Two remaining APCs maneuver around the Hand of Nod, screening the retreat with suppressive fire.
---
Your Pitbull and Predator make short work of the remaining Forgotten - continuous mortar bombardment keeps them suppressed, and a direct railgun hit on one individual doesn't really help their morale. The remainder throw down their weapons and surrender.
You sigh with relief that they didn't get further into your base and turn your attention to the end of the action in C8.
T+4
Said action doesn't end as well as you'd like. Your APC, one severely damaged, trundle out of the area, but a Nod turret blasts the rear-most one, an explosion ripping through the back of the vehicle, sending it flipping over its front to land on its roof. Secondary explosions confirm its complete destruction. Your mind goes numb briefly, but you remind yourself that you still have to sort out this mess with the diplomatic corps hostage and make a report to your commanding officer.
Combat Results:
B4: Pitbull moderately damaged; 1x Forgotten Squad KIA, 2x Forgotten Squads surrendered.
C8: 1x APC destroyed; 2x APC critically damaged; Infantry squad three KIA, one WIA; Predator critically damaged; Engineer squad one KIA, one WIA. Nod Ops Center and Hand of Nod destroyed; MCV observed retreating from area.
---
"... we'll be able to confirm tomorrow when our two detached APCs arrive, but I'm reasonably sure that brotherhood forces have withdrawn from the area. They still likely have those two automated turrets operational, but their personnel are probably all gone." you finish the report.
"Tomorrow?" The Captain asks. "How about now instead?"
You shake your head and spread your arms, a bewildered expression on your face. "I've got one combat-effective APC and two engineering squads. It'll get torn to shreds by those anti-tank turrets."
"Fair enough." The Captain concedes. "Get me a final report on that by tomorrow. Now what's this data sharing clearance request I'm seeing on my screen?"
You take a moment to compose yourself. "I've put together data that proves we didn't take any Tiberium from the Forgotten in A2. An individual they are more likely to trust has asked me to share that data with him so he can try to talk them out of doing something stupid." you roll your eyes up and to the right briefly. "... more than they've already done."
The Captain humphs. "Yeah, that really was stupid. I assume you've scrubbed that data as much as you can?"
You nod.
"Given that you've basically routed the Nod presence in your area and they know the composition of your force already more or less, I don't see any harm in sharing that data. Request granted. But if they so much as twitch in the wrong direction, you better make use of the InOps ... 'asset'." The Captain sighs, rubbing his short, curly, red hair with his hand. "The only thing worse than a minor diplomatic incident which we didn't start is a dead diplo-corps guy that we couldn't protect. Even as it is, I bet that asshole is going to bitch up a storm."
"Yes sir." You say, grateful and relieved. "I'll get it taken care of right now."
"Oh, and Lieutenant." The Captain tells you. "Sergeant Rei tells me that he's routed a substantial amount of Nod units and some Forgotten working with them over by the SAM sites and cleared out about 50% of them. He says he'll have the rest knocked down within twenty four hours and then we can send in some Firehawks to mop up. So, just clean this mess up you've got over where you are and then we can call it a day."
You nod, smiling. "Yes sir. I'll have to ask him about it, sir. Thanks for the update."
----
"... so here is the proof." Sabuur states, a nervous-looking Forgotten individual on the other side of the video call; ironically enough made using GDI-provided equipment in the barracks your construction crews have put together.
"Why should we believe you?" The woman on the other side says. "They could be holding aiming a gun at you, like we are aiming at this 'diplomat'." she says, spitting, while motioning to the tied-up Karpov sitting just in the camera's field of view.
Sabuur spreads his hands. "I can walk over and we can discuss it in person. It will take me two days. Do you think you can avoid killing that man for that long?"
The woman frowns, thinking.
"What exactly are you hoping to accomplish now?" Sabuur asks. "The men that tried to storm this base are dead, wounded or captured. Even if GDI were to release your tribesman, do you think they would let you keep him after what you have done? You have attempted to kill these people, and taken their people prisoner, completely unprovoked. They would be perfectly justified in killing you all. That they do not speaks to their mercy." He paces back and forth. "They have bled and died defending our settlement from the brotherhood scum, they have provided medical treatment for our people, and are doing so for your people now. Again, what can you hope to accomplish with this nonsense?"
The woman on the other end of the line sighs, scowling. "Very well, Sabuur. We will give you forty eight hours to come talk to us in person. No GDI, do you understand?"
He looks at you, awaiting your approval.
You have no APCs anywhere near B4, so you'll have to build one at the factory and detach it to Sabuur. You've got the credits for it, although you'll have to delay building another harvester to start up A6 harvesting for 24 hours. You don't feel that's particularly urgent anyway, though. However, the suspicious part of you tells you that the person on the other end of the line is stringing you along and is basically asking for another hostage and a free transport out of here.
[] Nod - you'll need to build an APC by tomorrow and detach it to Sabuur
[] Shake your head - time to end this the hard way
[] [Map and a plan] Nod - "trust but verify" - you'll build the APC and detach it, but have the asset standing by
---
The other decision you'll have to make is how to go about verifying the status of the Nod facility in D8. One of your options is to send in the APCs returning to B8 there along with your one remaining APC and two engineering squads. That'll give you two rocket and one minigun-equipped APCs and two engineering squads against two turrets - you'll be able to mop them up pretty quickly and maybe even give chase to the MCV. Although that last part is iffy, the MCV is headed to the desert, escorted by at least two rocket militant squads.
Or, you could just task a satellite with it. That'll let you know exactly what's waiting for you in D8, but by the time a satellite swings around and you get the APCs in there, that MCV will be long gone.
[] Send in the APCs and engineering squads
[] Check with the satellite first
---
AN: No building segment this time - that's basically all possible opposition in this scenario mopped up (including the bad guys in the SAM site zone); just a couple of loose ends to tie up. The 2 was a "laser fence" (as on the previous table, but the Nod guy couldn't afford another hologram field without selling another structure) on the Ops Center (the 5), but your engineering squad got in before that could be activated.
Expect to see some new toys coming out for both sides in the next scenario - Nod might be upping their game, but so is GDI.
[x] Plan Nod Finisher while passing the Buck
-[x] Tiberium Refinery: -2000 Credits, -40 Power, 2 Building Slots (no free harvester)
--[x] B6
-[x] Call your superior officer for guidance and/or reinforcements
--[x] Request authorization to Give Sabuur the Tib/Unit location data
-[x] Attack immediately
--[x] Ops Center
-[x] Write-in: Have B4 Pitbull begin patrolling the B3-B2-C2-C3-C4 area
T+0
Tiberium Refinery in B6 (-2000, 479 total)
Harvesters in D4 harvest + return (+1500, 1979 total; Tiberium Field Depleted)
Spike Income (+50, 2029 total)
3x APC, 1x E-Squad #2, 1x ISquad, 1x Tank C8 -> D8
APC, E-Squad #3 B7 -> B8
Pitbulls, ISquad C8 -> B8
Pitbull B4 -> B3
Combat Encounter in D8:
2x Anti-Tank turret
2x Rocket Militants
Construction Yard, 2x Power Plant, Hand of Nod, Ops Center
Non-combatant personnel from 1x Power Plant
Combat Encounter in B3:
3x Forgotten Infantry
Pitbull rolls 161; disengages to B4
D8 Combat Round 1:
T+1
3x Forgotten Infantry B3 -> B4
Predator Tank B6 -> B5
APC, E-Squad #3 B8 -> C8
D8 Combat Round 2:
B4 Combat Round 1:
T+2
Predator Tank B5 -> B4
APC, E-Squad #3 C8 -> D8
D8 Combat Round 3:
ISquad #4 withdraws
B4 Combat Round 2:
T+3
D8 Combat Round 4:
Predator, APC #15 withdraws
B4 Combat Round 3:
T+4
D8 Combat Round 5:
APC #6, E-Squad #3 withdraw
-[x] Tiberium Refinery: -2000 Credits, -40 Power, 2 Building Slots (no free harvester)
--[x] B6
-[x] Call your superior officer for guidance and/or reinforcements
--[x] Request authorization to Give Sabuur the Tib/Unit location data
-[x] Attack immediately
--[x] Ops Center
-[x] Write-in: Have B4 Pitbull begin patrolling the B3-B2-C2-C3-C4 area
T+0
Tiberium Refinery in B6 (-2000, 479 total)
Harvesters in D4 harvest + return (+1500, 1979 total; Tiberium Field Depleted)
Spike Income (+50, 2029 total)
3x APC, 1x E-Squad #2, 1x ISquad, 1x Tank C8 -> D8
APC, E-Squad #3 B7 -> B8
Pitbulls, ISquad C8 -> B8
Pitbull B4 -> B3
Combat Encounter in D8:
2x Anti-Tank turret
2x Rocket Militants
Construction Yard, 2x Power Plant, Hand of Nod, Ops Center
Non-combatant personnel from 1x Power Plant
Combat Encounter in B3:
3x Forgotten Infantry
Pitbull rolls 161; disengages to B4
D8 Combat Round 1:
*187: (88%) APC #10 vs *95: (100%) R-Squad #1
1d100 +5 (commander) + 5 (comms) +5 (veteran)+10 (APC Minigun vs FootInfantry) vs
1d100
41 -> 66 -> 66 vs
86 -> 86 -> 86
APC #10 takes 20 damage; 68 remaining;
---
*152: (60%) APC #15 vs *93: (100%) R-Squad #2
1d100 +5 (commander) + 5 (comms)-5 (APC Rocket vs FootInfantry) vs
1d100
38 -> 43 -> 43 vs
62 -> 62 -> 62
APC #15 takes 19 damage; 41 remaining;
---
*118: (85%) Predator vs *72: (100%) Power Plant #1
1d100 + 5 (comms) vs
1d100-20 (Non-Combatant Small Arms)
15 -> 20 -> 20 vs
98 -> 78 -> 78
Predator takes 58 damage; 27 remaining;
---
*97: (82%) APC #9 vs *85: (100%) Turret #2
1d100 +5 (commander) + 5 (comms) +5 (veteran) vs
1d100+5 (105mm turret vs Vehicle)
75 -> 90 -> 90 vs
50 -> 55 -> 55
Turret #2 takes 35 damage; 65 remaining;
---
*92: (94%) ISquad #4 vs *7: (100%) Turret
1d100 +5 (commander) + 5 (comms) +5 (veteran) vs
1d100-5 (105mm turret vs FootInfantry)
7 -> 22 -> 22 vs
50 -> 45 -> 45
ISquad #4 takes 23 damage; 71 remaining;
---
1d100 +5 (commander) + 5 (comms) +5 (veteran)+10 (APC Minigun vs FootInfantry) vs
1d100
41 -> 66 -> 66 vs
86 -> 86 -> 86
APC #10 takes 20 damage; 68 remaining;
---
*152: (60%) APC #15 vs *93: (100%) R-Squad #2
1d100 +5 (commander) + 5 (comms)-5 (APC Rocket vs FootInfantry) vs
1d100
38 -> 43 -> 43 vs
62 -> 62 -> 62
APC #15 takes 19 damage; 41 remaining;
---
*118: (85%) Predator vs *72: (100%) Power Plant #1
1d100 + 5 (comms) vs
1d100-20 (Non-Combatant Small Arms)
15 -> 20 -> 20 vs
98 -> 78 -> 78
Predator takes 58 damage; 27 remaining;
---
*97: (82%) APC #9 vs *85: (100%) Turret #2
1d100 +5 (commander) + 5 (comms) +5 (veteran) vs
1d100+5 (105mm turret vs Vehicle)
75 -> 90 -> 90 vs
50 -> 55 -> 55
Turret #2 takes 35 damage; 65 remaining;
---
*92: (94%) ISquad #4 vs *7: (100%) Turret
1d100 +5 (commander) + 5 (comms) +5 (veteran) vs
1d100-5 (105mm turret vs FootInfantry)
7 -> 22 -> 22 vs
50 -> 45 -> 45
ISquad #4 takes 23 damage; 71 remaining;
---
T+1
3x Forgotten Infantry B3 -> B4
Predator Tank B6 -> B5
APC, E-Squad #3 B8 -> C8
D8 Combat Round 2:
*31: (100%) Turret vs *155: (68%) APC #10
1d100+5 (105mm turret vs Vehicle) / 2 (support)
Roll: 25 -> 30 -> 15
*14: (100%) Power Plant #1 vs *155: (68%) APC #10
1d100-20 (Non-Combatant Small Arms) / 4 (support)
Roll: 5 -> -15 -> -3; *14: (100%) Power Plant #1 stunned;
*155: (68%) APC #10 vs *52: (100%) R-Squad #2
1d100 +5 (commander) + 5 (comms) +5 (veteran)+10 (APC Minigun vs FootInfantry) vs
1d100 + 15 from Turret + -3 from Power Plant #1
81 -> 106 -> 106 vs
76 -> 76 -> 88
*52: (100%) R-Squad #2 stunned!
R-Squad #2 takes 18 damage; 82 remaining;
---
*78: (100%) Power Plant #2 vs *86: (82%) APC #9
1d100-20 (Non-Combatant Small Arms) / 2 (support)
Roll: 82 -> 62 -> 31
Attacker has initiative crit fail.
*86: (82%) APC #9 vs *59: (65%) Turret #2
1d100 +5 (commander) + 5 (comms) +5 (veteran) vs
1d100+5 (105mm turret vs Vehicle) + 31 from Power Plant #2
41 -> 56 -> 56 vs
2 -> 7 -> 38
Turret #2 takes 18 damage; 47 remaining;
---
*17: (100%) Hand of Nod vs *80: (71%) ISquad #4
1d100-20 (Non-Combatant Small Arms) / 2 (support)
Roll: 20 -> 0 -> 0; *17: (100%) Hand of Nod stunned;
*80: (71%) ISquad #4 vs *40: (100%) R-Squad #1
1d100 +5 (commander) + 5 (comms) +5 (veteran) vs
1d100-10 (Nod Rockets vs FootInfantry) + 0 from Hand of Nod
25 -> 40 -> 40 vs
98 -> 88 -> 88
ISquad #4 takes 48 damage; 23 remaining;
1d100+5 (105mm turret vs Vehicle) / 2 (support)
Roll: 25 -> 30 -> 15
*14: (100%) Power Plant #1 vs *155: (68%) APC #10
1d100-20 (Non-Combatant Small Arms) / 4 (support)
Roll: 5 -> -15 -> -3; *14: (100%) Power Plant #1 stunned;
*155: (68%) APC #10 vs *52: (100%) R-Squad #2
1d100 +5 (commander) + 5 (comms) +5 (veteran)+10 (APC Minigun vs FootInfantry) vs
1d100 + 15 from Turret + -3 from Power Plant #1
81 -> 106 -> 106 vs
76 -> 76 -> 88
*52: (100%) R-Squad #2 stunned!
R-Squad #2 takes 18 damage; 82 remaining;
---
*78: (100%) Power Plant #2 vs *86: (82%) APC #9
1d100-20 (Non-Combatant Small Arms) / 2 (support)
Roll: 82 -> 62 -> 31
Attacker has initiative crit fail.
*86: (82%) APC #9 vs *59: (65%) Turret #2
1d100 +5 (commander) + 5 (comms) +5 (veteran) vs
1d100+5 (105mm turret vs Vehicle) + 31 from Power Plant #2
41 -> 56 -> 56 vs
2 -> 7 -> 38
Turret #2 takes 18 damage; 47 remaining;
---
*17: (100%) Hand of Nod vs *80: (71%) ISquad #4
1d100-20 (Non-Combatant Small Arms) / 2 (support)
Roll: 20 -> 0 -> 0; *17: (100%) Hand of Nod stunned;
*80: (71%) ISquad #4 vs *40: (100%) R-Squad #1
1d100 +5 (commander) + 5 (comms) +5 (veteran) vs
1d100-10 (Nod Rockets vs FootInfantry) + 0 from Hand of Nod
25 -> 40 -> 40 vs
98 -> 88 -> 88
ISquad #4 takes 48 damage; 23 remaining;
B4 Combat Round 1:
*4: (100%) Forgotten Infantry vs *231: (100%) Pitbull
1d100 / 2 (support)
Roll: 50 -> 50 -> 25
*231: (100%) Pitbull vs *22: (100%) Forgotten Infantry #3
1d100 + 5 (comms)+10 (Mortar vs FootInfantry) vs
1d100 + 25 from Forgotten Infantry
50 -> 65 -> 65 vs
56 -> 56 -> 81
Pitbull takes 16 damage; 84 remaining;
---
*231: (84%) Pitbull vs *7: (100%) Forgotten Infantry #2
1d100 + 5 (comms)-10 (Missile Launcher vs FootInfantry) vs
1d100
56 -> 51 -> 51 vs
19 -> 19 -> 19
Forgotten Infantry #2 takes 32 damage; 68 remaining;
1d100 / 2 (support)
Roll: 50 -> 50 -> 25
*231: (100%) Pitbull vs *22: (100%) Forgotten Infantry #3
1d100 + 5 (comms)+10 (Mortar vs FootInfantry) vs
1d100 + 25 from Forgotten Infantry
50 -> 65 -> 65 vs
56 -> 56 -> 81
Pitbull takes 16 damage; 84 remaining;
---
*231: (84%) Pitbull vs *7: (100%) Forgotten Infantry #2
1d100 + 5 (comms)-10 (Missile Launcher vs FootInfantry) vs
1d100
56 -> 51 -> 51 vs
19 -> 19 -> 19
Forgotten Infantry #2 takes 32 damage; 68 remaining;
T+2
Predator Tank B5 -> B4
APC, E-Squad #3 C8 -> D8
D8 Combat Round 3:
ISquad #4 withdraws
*172: (68%) APC #10 vs *67: (100%) Turret
1d100 +5 (commander) + 5 (comms) +5 (veteran) vs
1d100+5 (105mm turret vs Vehicle)
5 -> 20 -> 20 vs
62 -> 67 -> 67
APC #10 takes 47 damage; 21 remaining;
---
*166: (82%) APC #9 vs *17: (47%) Turret #2
1d100 +5 (commander) + 5 (comms) +5 (veteran) vs
1d100+5 (105mm turret vs Vehicle)
19 -> 34 -> 34 vs
42 -> 47 -> 47
APC #9 takes 13 damage; 69 remaining;
---
*150: (100%) APC #6 vs *15: (100%) Power Plant #2
1d100 +5 (commander) + 5 (comms) +5 (veteran) vs
1d100-20 (Non-Combatant Small Arms)
39 -> 54 -> 54 vs
58 -> 38 -> 38
Power Plant #2 takes 16 damage; 84 remaining;
---
*61: (100%) E-Squad #2 vs *11: (100%) R-Squad #1
1d100 +5 (commander) + 5 (comms)-20 (Non-Combatant Small Arms) vs
1d100-10 (Nod Rockets vs FootInfantry)
33 -> 23 -> 23 vs
60 -> 50 -> 50
E-Squad #2 takes 27 damage; 73 remaining;
---
1d100 +5 (commander) + 5 (comms) +5 (veteran) vs
1d100+5 (105mm turret vs Vehicle)
5 -> 20 -> 20 vs
62 -> 67 -> 67
APC #10 takes 47 damage; 21 remaining;
---
*166: (82%) APC #9 vs *17: (47%) Turret #2
1d100 +5 (commander) + 5 (comms) +5 (veteran) vs
1d100+5 (105mm turret vs Vehicle)
19 -> 34 -> 34 vs
42 -> 47 -> 47
APC #9 takes 13 damage; 69 remaining;
---
*150: (100%) APC #6 vs *15: (100%) Power Plant #2
1d100 +5 (commander) + 5 (comms) +5 (veteran) vs
1d100-20 (Non-Combatant Small Arms)
39 -> 54 -> 54 vs
58 -> 38 -> 38
Power Plant #2 takes 16 damage; 84 remaining;
---
*61: (100%) E-Squad #2 vs *11: (100%) R-Squad #1
1d100 +5 (commander) + 5 (comms)-20 (Non-Combatant Small Arms) vs
1d100-10 (Nod Rockets vs FootInfantry)
33 -> 23 -> 23 vs
60 -> 50 -> 50
E-Squad #2 takes 27 damage; 73 remaining;
---
B4 Combat Round 2:
*207: (84%) Pitbull vs *73: (68%) Forgotten Infantry #2
1d100 + 5 (comms)+10 (Mortar vs FootInfantry) vs
1d100
94 -> 109 -> 109 vs
29 -> 29 -> 29
*73: (68%) Forgotten Infantry #2 stunned!
Forgotten Infantry #2 takes 80 damage; -12 remaining;Destroyed!
---
*207: (84%) Pitbull vs *62: (100%) Forgotten Infantry #3
1d100 + 5 (comms)-10 (Missile Launcher vs FootInfantry) vs
1d100
97 -> 92 -> 92 vs
59 -> 59 -> 59
Forgotten Infantry #3 takes 33 damage; 67 remaining;
---
*82: (125%) Predator #2 vs *42: (100%) Forgotten Infantry
1d100 + 5 (comms) vs
1d100
22 -> 27 -> 27 vs
61 -> 61 -> 61
Predator #2 takes 34 damage; 91 remaining;Ablative Plating Degraded.
---
1d100 + 5 (comms)+10 (Mortar vs FootInfantry) vs
1d100
94 -> 109 -> 109 vs
29 -> 29 -> 29
*73: (68%) Forgotten Infantry #2 stunned!
Forgotten Infantry #2 takes 80 damage; -12 remaining;Destroyed!
---
*207: (84%) Pitbull vs *62: (100%) Forgotten Infantry #3
1d100 + 5 (comms)-10 (Missile Launcher vs FootInfantry) vs
1d100
97 -> 92 -> 92 vs
59 -> 59 -> 59
Forgotten Infantry #3 takes 33 damage; 67 remaining;
---
*82: (125%) Predator #2 vs *42: (100%) Forgotten Infantry
1d100 + 5 (comms) vs
1d100
22 -> 27 -> 27 vs
61 -> 61 -> 61
Predator #2 takes 34 damage; 91 remaining;Ablative Plating Degraded.
---
T+3
D8 Combat Round 4:
Predator, APC #15 withdraws
*47: (100%) Turret vs *163: (69%) APC #9
1d100+5 (105mm turret vs Vehicle) / 2 (support)
Roll: 88 -> 93 -> 46
*15: (82%) R-Squad #2 vs *163: (69%) APC #9
1d100 / 4 (support)
Roll: 84 -> 84 -> 21
*163: (69%) APC #9 vs *99: (47%) Turret #2
1d100 +5 (commander) + 5 (comms) +5 (veteran) vs
1d100+5 (105mm turret vs Vehicle) + 46 from Turret + 21 from R-Squad #2
90 -> 105 -> 105 vs
86 -> 91 -> 158
*163: (69%) APC #9 stunned!
*99: (47%) Turret #2 stunned!
APC #9 takes 53 damage; 16 remaining;
---
*24: (100%) Power Plant #1 vs *65: (100%) APC #6
1d100-20 (Non-Combatant Small Arms) / 2 (support)
Roll: 39 -> 19 -> 9
*66: (100%) R-Squad #1 vs *65: (100%) APC #6
1d100 + 9 from Power Plant #1 vs
1d100 +5 (commander) + 5 (comms) +5 (veteran)-5 (APC Rocket vs FootInfantry)
62 -> 62 -> 71 vs
65 -> 75 -> 75
R-Squad #1 takes 4 damage; 96 remaining;
---
1d100+5 (105mm turret vs Vehicle) / 2 (support)
Roll: 88 -> 93 -> 46
*15: (82%) R-Squad #2 vs *163: (69%) APC #9
1d100 / 4 (support)
Roll: 84 -> 84 -> 21
*163: (69%) APC #9 vs *99: (47%) Turret #2
1d100 +5 (commander) + 5 (comms) +5 (veteran) vs
1d100+5 (105mm turret vs Vehicle) + 46 from Turret + 21 from R-Squad #2
90 -> 105 -> 105 vs
86 -> 91 -> 158
*163: (69%) APC #9 stunned!
*99: (47%) Turret #2 stunned!
APC #9 takes 53 damage; 16 remaining;
---
*24: (100%) Power Plant #1 vs *65: (100%) APC #6
1d100-20 (Non-Combatant Small Arms) / 2 (support)
Roll: 39 -> 19 -> 9
*66: (100%) R-Squad #1 vs *65: (100%) APC #6
1d100 + 9 from Power Plant #1 vs
1d100 +5 (commander) + 5 (comms) +5 (veteran)-5 (APC Rocket vs FootInfantry)
62 -> 62 -> 71 vs
65 -> 75 -> 75
R-Squad #1 takes 4 damage; 96 remaining;
---
B4 Combat Round 3:
*209: (84%) Pitbull vs *40: (67%) Forgotten Infantry #3
1d100 + 5 (comms)+10 (Mortar vs FootInfantry) vs
1d100
76 -> 91 -> 91 vs
81 -> 81 -> 81
Forgotten Infantry #3 takes 10 damage; 57 remaining;
---
*130: (91%) Predator #2 vs *36: (100%) Forgotten Infantry
1d100 + 5 (comms) / 2 (support)
Roll: 89 -> 94 -> 47
*209: (84%) Pitbull vs *36: (100%) Forgotten Infantry
1d100 + 5 (comms)-10 (Missile Launcher vs FootInfantry) + 47 from Predator #2 vs
1d100
48 -> 43 -> 90 vs
3 -> 3 -> 3
Forgotten Infantry takes 87 damage; 13 remaining;
1d100 + 5 (comms)+10 (Mortar vs FootInfantry) vs
1d100
76 -> 91 -> 91 vs
81 -> 81 -> 81
Forgotten Infantry #3 takes 10 damage; 57 remaining;
---
*130: (91%) Predator #2 vs *36: (100%) Forgotten Infantry
1d100 + 5 (comms) / 2 (support)
Roll: 89 -> 94 -> 47
*209: (84%) Pitbull vs *36: (100%) Forgotten Infantry
1d100 + 5 (comms)-10 (Missile Launcher vs FootInfantry) + 47 from Predator #2 vs
1d100
48 -> 43 -> 90 vs
3 -> 3 -> 3
Forgotten Infantry takes 87 damage; 13 remaining;
T+4
D8 Combat Round 5:
APC #6, E-Squad #3 withdraw
*73: (82%) R-Squad #2 vs *58: (16%) (stunned)(withdrawing)APC #9
1d100 / 2 (support)
Roll: 66 -> 66 -> 33
*98: (96%) R-Squad #1 vs *58: (16%) (stunned)(withdrawing)APC #9
1d100 + 33 from R-Squad #2 vs
1d100 +5 (commander) + 5 (comms) +5 (veteran)-5 (APC Rocket vs FootInfantry)
10 -> 10 -> 43 vs
4 -> 14 -> 14
APC #9 takes 29 damage; -13 remaining;Destroyed!
---
1d100 / 2 (support)
Roll: 66 -> 66 -> 33
*98: (96%) R-Squad #1 vs *58: (16%) (stunned)(withdrawing)APC #9
1d100 + 33 from R-Squad #2 vs
1d100 +5 (commander) + 5 (comms) +5 (veteran)-5 (APC Rocket vs FootInfantry)
10 -> 10 -> 43 vs
4 -> 14 -> 14
APC #9 takes 29 damage; -13 remaining;Destroyed!
---
October 12, 2058
T+0
"Assault Group C8 - leave the combat-ineffective forces behind and proceed to sector D8. Engineering Squad, capture that Ops center ASAP if you can. APC #6, Engineering Squad #3, load up and proceed to D8 at maximum speed." You instruct, chattering rapid-fire instructions. If you can take out that MCV, that'll completely prevent Nod from even trying to re-build in your area.
Your troops get on it pretty quickly, the engineers and remaining infantry squad loading into their APCs and rolling out, kicking off clouds of dust (and probably little remaining Tiberium particles). It's easy to follow the power cables, and, within a few minutes, your forces engage the Nod units defending C8. The Nod commander must have just finished tossing up a turret, anticipating an attack from your direction, and two rocket squads are dug in to fighting positions, although they've only manage to dig foxholes, rather than setting up sandbags.
As they approach, one of your APCs takes a rocket to the side, belching black smoke. The crew informs you, between coughing fits, that they can't operate their turret, and are pulling back. The Predator tank engages targets with its railgun, but a group of hidden Nod militants pop up from concealment along its route and throw what can only be described as Tiberium-infused Molotov cocktails, the tank quickly becoming covered in bluish-green flame. You're not much of an expert on chemistry, but you do know that blue flame is hotter than red.
A report of "Aaah, shit, that stuff's gotten through the seals!" confirms your assessment of the situation as "not good". The crew gets the fire put out eventually, but everyone's got massive burns and it's all they can do to pull out.
There is a silver lining to all of this, though. While the Nod forces are busy mauling your vehicles, another of your APCs circles around the fortified positions and makes a beeline for the Ops Center. The engineer squad quickly disembarks and makes their way into the building as the APC's gunner holds off some disorganized and poorly-armed infantry. The chatter from the Ops Center penetration crew is positive. Most of the standardized pre-fab buildings that GDI and Nod use have shared layouts, so the practice your teams put in pays off as they quickly make their way to the command center.
---
"Pitbull #3 reporting." comes the transmission. "Encountered unidentified units moving towards our base in sector B3. Looks like Forgotten, about three squads' worth. They're not responding to IFF or comms, so we're assuming they're hostiles. Pulling back into the base, we'll need some backup to hold them before they get in too deep."
You scowl and acknowledge the transmission, ordering your Predator tank in sector B6 to break north with all speed. You wish you'd had time to give Sabuur the tracking and location data, but you haven't even had time to make a call out to your commanding officer yet. And now it's too late, and the "militant" Forgotten are doing something stupid.
T+1
"Predator disengaged. APC #15 disengaged." comes the string of reports from the Nod base in C8. "We're gonna need backup, those bastards are pouring out of the buildings and their construction yard is folding up!"
"Acknowledged." You respond. "APC six is en route, ETA one minute."
"Capture squad reporting." comes a welcome transmission from Ops Center. "We've got control of the command center, nailed at least one officer while breaching. Initiating self-destruct sequence now."
You respond in the affirmative. Sometimes, it may be worthwhile to not do that, but here, you're still outnumbered and your forces have taken casualties. An infantry squad and a pair of APCs maneuver around the Ops Center, intending to extract the engineer squad as soon as they clear the building. The swarming Nod infantry are persistent and inflict heavy casualties on your infantry outside.
---
"Pitbull three here. Engaging Forgotten infantry entering the base. What's the ETA on those reinforcements?"
"Predator tank inbound in sixty seconds." You reply. The Pitbull takes some damage from small arms fire, but is able to use its superior speed and mortar to outmaneuver and suppress the Forgotten infantry.
T+2
You slam your fist on the table as the Nod MCV casually saunters away - none of your troops are able to pursue it as two of your APCs eat multiple rounds from the Nod turrets, and although they're still intact, one of them belches smoke. The surviving infantry squad and the engineer squad emerging from the Ops center board said APCs in preparation for evacuation, while the gunners try to keep some non-combatants penned up inside one of the power plants with suppressive fire.
The APC and another engineering squad arrive from sector B7 and go for the Hand of Nod - the engineering squad eliminates some more "non-combatants" giving your retreating troops a hard time, breaches the door and moves into the facility to plant charges.
---
The arrival of the Predator tank turns the tide, distracting the Forgotten infantry attacking your base in B4 long enough for your Pitbull to drop a mortar round right on top of one of the squads, scattering their remains all over the side of the building they were taking shelter near.
T+3
You look at the situation in C8 soberly - the Nod rocket troopers and turrets are making hash of your APCs while the swarm of "non-combatants" from the remaining nearby buildings doesn't seem to be abating. "All units, disengage when able." You order.
"Charges planted, evacuating. Come pick us up!" The reinforcement engineers announce.
One of your APCs are able to leave the area, transporting the engineer squad that blew up the ops center, while the combat-ineffective infantry squad and casualties are able to make their way out of the area on their own. Two remaining APCs maneuver around the Hand of Nod, screening the retreat with suppressive fire.
---
Your Pitbull and Predator make short work of the remaining Forgotten - continuous mortar bombardment keeps them suppressed, and a direct railgun hit on one individual doesn't really help their morale. The remainder throw down their weapons and surrender.
You sigh with relief that they didn't get further into your base and turn your attention to the end of the action in C8.
T+4
Said action doesn't end as well as you'd like. Your APC, one severely damaged, trundle out of the area, but a Nod turret blasts the rear-most one, an explosion ripping through the back of the vehicle, sending it flipping over its front to land on its roof. Secondary explosions confirm its complete destruction. Your mind goes numb briefly, but you remind yourself that you still have to sort out this mess with the diplomatic corps hostage and make a report to your commanding officer.
Combat Results:
B4: Pitbull moderately damaged; 1x Forgotten Squad KIA, 2x Forgotten Squads surrendered.
C8: 1x APC destroyed; 2x APC critically damaged; Infantry squad three KIA, one WIA; Predator critically damaged; Engineer squad one KIA, one WIA. Nod Ops Center and Hand of Nod destroyed; MCV observed retreating from area.
---
"... we'll be able to confirm tomorrow when our two detached APCs arrive, but I'm reasonably sure that brotherhood forces have withdrawn from the area. They still likely have those two automated turrets operational, but their personnel are probably all gone." you finish the report.
"Tomorrow?" The Captain asks. "How about now instead?"
You shake your head and spread your arms, a bewildered expression on your face. "I've got one combat-effective APC and two engineering squads. It'll get torn to shreds by those anti-tank turrets."
"Fair enough." The Captain concedes. "Get me a final report on that by tomorrow. Now what's this data sharing clearance request I'm seeing on my screen?"
You take a moment to compose yourself. "I've put together data that proves we didn't take any Tiberium from the Forgotten in A2. An individual they are more likely to trust has asked me to share that data with him so he can try to talk them out of doing something stupid." you roll your eyes up and to the right briefly. "... more than they've already done."
The Captain humphs. "Yeah, that really was stupid. I assume you've scrubbed that data as much as you can?"
You nod.
"Given that you've basically routed the Nod presence in your area and they know the composition of your force already more or less, I don't see any harm in sharing that data. Request granted. But if they so much as twitch in the wrong direction, you better make use of the InOps ... 'asset'." The Captain sighs, rubbing his short, curly, red hair with his hand. "The only thing worse than a minor diplomatic incident which we didn't start is a dead diplo-corps guy that we couldn't protect. Even as it is, I bet that asshole is going to bitch up a storm."
"Yes sir." You say, grateful and relieved. "I'll get it taken care of right now."
"Oh, and Lieutenant." The Captain tells you. "Sergeant Rei tells me that he's routed a substantial amount of Nod units and some Forgotten working with them over by the SAM sites and cleared out about 50% of them. He says he'll have the rest knocked down within twenty four hours and then we can send in some Firehawks to mop up. So, just clean this mess up you've got over where you are and then we can call it a day."
You nod, smiling. "Yes sir. I'll have to ask him about it, sir. Thanks for the update."
----
"... so here is the proof." Sabuur states, a nervous-looking Forgotten individual on the other side of the video call; ironically enough made using GDI-provided equipment in the barracks your construction crews have put together.
"Why should we believe you?" The woman on the other side says. "They could be holding aiming a gun at you, like we are aiming at this 'diplomat'." she says, spitting, while motioning to the tied-up Karpov sitting just in the camera's field of view.
Sabuur spreads his hands. "I can walk over and we can discuss it in person. It will take me two days. Do you think you can avoid killing that man for that long?"
The woman frowns, thinking.
"What exactly are you hoping to accomplish now?" Sabuur asks. "The men that tried to storm this base are dead, wounded or captured. Even if GDI were to release your tribesman, do you think they would let you keep him after what you have done? You have attempted to kill these people, and taken their people prisoner, completely unprovoked. They would be perfectly justified in killing you all. That they do not speaks to their mercy." He paces back and forth. "They have bled and died defending our settlement from the brotherhood scum, they have provided medical treatment for our people, and are doing so for your people now. Again, what can you hope to accomplish with this nonsense?"
The woman on the other end of the line sighs, scowling. "Very well, Sabuur. We will give you forty eight hours to come talk to us in person. No GDI, do you understand?"
He looks at you, awaiting your approval.
You have no APCs anywhere near B4, so you'll have to build one at the factory and detach it to Sabuur. You've got the credits for it, although you'll have to delay building another harvester to start up A6 harvesting for 24 hours. You don't feel that's particularly urgent anyway, though. However, the suspicious part of you tells you that the person on the other end of the line is stringing you along and is basically asking for another hostage and a free transport out of here.
[] Nod - you'll need to build an APC by tomorrow and detach it to Sabuur
[] Shake your head - time to end this the hard way
[] [Map and a plan] Nod - "trust but verify" - you'll build the APC and detach it, but have the asset standing by
---
The other decision you'll have to make is how to go about verifying the status of the Nod facility in D8. One of your options is to send in the APCs returning to B8 there along with your one remaining APC and two engineering squads. That'll give you two rocket and one minigun-equipped APCs and two engineering squads against two turrets - you'll be able to mop them up pretty quickly and maybe even give chase to the MCV. Although that last part is iffy, the MCV is headed to the desert, escorted by at least two rocket militant squads.
Or, you could just task a satellite with it. That'll let you know exactly what's waiting for you in D8, but by the time a satellite swings around and you get the APCs in there, that MCV will be long gone.
[] Send in the APCs and engineering squads
[] Check with the satellite first
---
AN: No building segment this time - that's basically all possible opposition in this scenario mopped up (including the bad guys in the SAM site zone); just a couple of loose ends to tie up. The 2 was a "laser fence" (as on the previous table, but the Nod guy couldn't afford another hologram field without selling another structure) on the Ops Center (the 5), but your engineering squad got in before that could be activated.
Expect to see some new toys coming out for both sides in the next scenario - Nod might be upping their game, but so is GDI.
[x] Plan Final movements
-[x] [Map and a plan] Nod - "trust but verify" - you'll build the APC and detach it, but have the asset standing by
-[x] Check with the satellite first
The Forgotten actually sent those missing squads to attack our base huh. Not a smart move. It would have hurt if we had nothing close by to counter, but at the end of the day, GDI has a massive presence in the area compared to their 5 Light infantry squads.
But perhaps they did not know that. Either way it cost them 60% of their fighting strength and our trust in exchange for no tangible benefit.
Heh, they asked us to build them a barracks because their housing situation was tight. Somehow I doubt that is a concern anymore.
Anyway, looks like its wrap up time. This was not the cleanest sweep since there is still an organized Nod presence in the area, but we did tangibly win and the prison camp was never even threatened. So I'll chalk this up as a solid win.
-[x] [Map and a plan] Nod - "trust but verify" - you'll build the APC and detach it, but have the asset standing by
-[x] Check with the satellite first
The Forgotten actually sent those missing squads to attack our base huh. Not a smart move. It would have hurt if we had nothing close by to counter, but at the end of the day, GDI has a massive presence in the area compared to their 5 Light infantry squads.
But perhaps they did not know that. Either way it cost them 60% of their fighting strength and our trust in exchange for no tangible benefit.
Heh, they asked us to build them a barracks because their housing situation was tight. Somehow I doubt that is a concern anymore.
Anyway, looks like its wrap up time. This was not the cleanest sweep since there is still an organized Nod presence in the area, but we did tangibly win and the prison camp was never even threatened. So I'll chalk this up as a solid win.
- Pronouns
- He
[x] Plan Final movements
It would be a tough fight and we might still lose the MCV. Let it pass on, I say.
It would be a tough fight and we might still lose the MCV. Let it pass on, I say.
Ace of Scarabs
Mechanoid Pilot
- Location
- Singapore
[x] Plan Final movements
- Location
- New England
Gonna keep the vote open as a formality until tomorrow, but we could use a 1d10 roll for "Sabuur Negotiation".
Doing it.
- Location
- Most likely California
[X] Plan Final movements
- Location
- New England
Mission 3, Turn 17: October 13, 2058
- Location
- New England
Plan/Resolution:
October 13, 2058
"Satellite data analysis... completed." your EVA tells you as you watch the Ox drop the APC off and the factory crew begin the pre-operational checklist. You never want to just send a "factory fresh" APC out into the field - you have to do the "local environmental adaptation kit" (LEAK) first, make sure the ammo bin has the right kind of ammo. Then the crew who's going to be driving it needs to come in, take it for a test spin, customize all the control settings to their preference. And let's not forget mounting ablative plating, if necessary. In this case, probably not - you're just having it drive down to the Forgotten outpost in A2 and you don't expect it to be fired on by laser weapons.
You also spend some time managing Tiberium cleanup in B4. When the Forgotten die, the Tiberium works pretty quickly to consume the bodies, and you have to have them burned quickly to ensure that they do not turn into Visceroids or start spreading. It's pretty distasteful work overall, and you really wish this whole thing hadn't happened.
The satellite scan shows about what you expected - the two turrets and a power plant remain; the rest of the structures are disassembled and gone. You think you can see a stray construction crew getting ready to disassemble the rest of the goodies, but there's little you can do about it - your engineering squads are busy patching up your APCs and Predator tank in C8.
You turn to Sabuur, clapping him on the side of his shoulder as best you can (he's tall and you have to take care to avoid the big chunk of Tiberium sticking out of his bicep). "Good luck. We'll be ready to come bail you out if need be."
He nods. "I hope it does not come to that."
"Me too."
---
October 14, 2058
The APCs sensors and the devices you've re-activated in the power plant and barracks provide you with a pretty good picture of what's going on in the Forgotten outpost in A2 as Sabuur drives his APC in there. He's accosted by several individuals wielding previous-generation projectile rifles, but maintains calm, keeping his hands in the air. The woman you saw earlier on the screen approaches.
"Well, Alia, you and your people have really stepped into the slurry this time." Sabuur opens the dialog.
She spreads her arms. "They took Pierre and refuse to return him. And then they steal our Tiberium, thinking to make us blind. Are we supposed to dance with joy when they come to 'negotiate'?" she says the last word with particular venom.
Sabuur shrugs. "Do you want to go over the sensor data again? You know that GDI didn't take your Tiberium. As for Pierre, do you know why they took him?"
Alia shakes her head. "No. They refuse to answer."
Sabuur sighs. "Why... would they build a nuclear power plant and a top-of-the-line housing facility for you if they didn't have good intentions? You realize that the two vehicles that wiped out your attack force are just a small portion of what they actually have here." He shakes his head, and you're pretty sure he rolls his eyes, you can't tell at this angle. "What are you cretins trying to do, get killed?"
Alia shakes her head, remaining silent, then sets her jaw, pointing her rifle at Sabuur.
"Step away from the Guardian. We will be taking it and leaving."
Sabuur scoffs. "First of all, it's locked to my biometrics, including, I might add, voice-print identification. Second of all, you're all going to die if you try to do that."
"What do you suggest?" Alia says, her rifle still pointing at Sabuur, along with the others next to her, although, some of them start looking around in suspicion.
"Give the diplomat up. You can still go free." Sabuur begins. "Well, nobody who was involved in the attack on the GDI base or the actual kidnapping." he amends. "Although... you did not actually kill anybody. Maybe they will be somewhat lenient. We can ask about Pierre, the current commander here is a very reasonable woman." he spreads his arms in a plea. "Spare your people's lives. Enough of us have died over the last few days, let us not add more to the funeral pyre."
Alia sniffs, bringing her rifle down, looking deflated. "I will take responsibility." she motions to one of the other Forgotten next to her. "Bring the diplomat." Karpov emerges shortly.
You sigh with relief. "Three-five-eight actual to R-A. Stand down." you transmit on the dedicated InOps channel.
"Understood." replies the voice on the other end. "Too bad, I was hoping for some action. Well, better luck next time."
You resist the urge to make a sarcastic rejoinder.
---
By the time your APCs and tank group up and move on D8, the brotherhood has dismantled their remaining structures and fled off into the desert. On your next status update with the Captain, Sergeant Rei informs you that he has completed the sweep of SAM sites in his assigned area. With GDI moving to assert air superiority, the Nod forces there pack up and move on to greener pastures, so to speak.
Over the next several days, you get your vehicles back into repaired state, lay minefields along the southern perimeter of the area, repair the bridge from A2 to A3, and re-activate the Tiberium spikes in B2 while your harvesters begin clearing Tiberium from the rest of the area, the entire process expected to take upwards of a month. The Captain sends a replacement butter-bar to relieve Sgt. Rei, who is all too happy to relinquish command - you get the feeling he didn't enjoy the experience. The new Lieutenant keeps the force there long enough to grab all the loose Tiberium then pulls back to your company HQ. Which, granted, takes several weeks, but is a lot easier without Nod forces constantly sending swarms of buggies and rocket bikes in.
Representative Karpov, Captain Amir and you hold one more in-person meeting in the command post.
"Well... not the most optimal outcome in terms of info-sec." Captain Amir begins. You kind of wonder how she hasn't pulled all her hair out at this point given her nervous tick of redoing her ponytail every half a minute. "But, I suppose nobody gets every outcome they want." she chuckles. "As a wise man once said, the best way to secure a data disk is to melt it in an incinerator. But that approach has its own problems."
"Well, I, for one, am thankful the Lieutenant exercised restraint in this situation." Karpov responds. "I will make a note of it in my report." He looks at you. "I will require transport to the other mission area under your company's responsibility, to see what we can do to calm the Forgotten in that area down. I will be moving on after that, and I imagine you will, too."
"Probably." you respond, shrugging non-commitally. Although you certainly would be a little pissed off if you found out you had to guard this prison camp for the rest of your career.
He gets up and offers his hand, which you shake, then you leave.
You look at Captain Amir.
[] Ask her what's the deal with this 'Pierre' character that was the cause of so much distress
[] Ask her to go easy on the the poor scrubs that survived your Pitbull/Predator pasting
[] Ask her how long she plans on continuing to run this prison camp
---
November 21, 2058
With the prison camp having remained secure for the last month, and the last of the surface Tiberium in the area cleaned up, you visit Sabuur's outpost on the way back from inspecting the crew setting up the Tiberium spike in sector D4. The surface Tiberium may be gone, but it always comes back up if a spike isn't installed, "like a bad case of the herp", as described by one of the engineers setting up the spike. You shrug - the Captain has just sent you a message ordering your platoon back to company HQ.
"So." Sabuur says, taking a break from re-adjusting a loose ablative armor plate on one of the shelters. "I take it you are leaving."
"Not all of us." You say with a smirk. "A solid garrison will remain, and you'll have plenty of heads up in case Nod forces try to push into this area again."
He smiles and points. "You are leaving, though."
You nod and acknowledge with a tilt of your head. "Duty calls."
Sabuur extends his enormous hand. "If you ever feel the need to visit a small corner of our Tiberium wasteland again, you are more than welcome here."
You return his hand shake as best you can, grinning. "Of course. I'll give you a call if I ever need a hostage negotiator."
"Pah." Sabuur swats the air with his hand. "It is easy to negotiate when you have all the evidence you need and overwhelming force backing you up." he claps your shoulder. "Take care of yourself, my friend."
You nod. "You too."
In a way, you're glad you're wearing a helmet - your eyes get suspiciously misty as you depart.
---
November 23, 2058
"Good work out there, Lieutenant." the Captain tells you, motioning for you to have a seat in his impromptu office. "You didn't get all the Noddies, but that wasn't your job in the first place."
You nod as he continues. "Shame about those Forgotten, but I don't think there was anything you could have done differently. Lacking a time machine or some kind of ability to see into the future, anyway." He adds with a smirk.
"Anyway, you're due for a rotation back to the blue zones soon. I wanted to have a chat with you first, though."
"Sir?"
"I'd like to offer you the exec spot in my company. Promotion to First Lieutenant, with all the, uh... " he rolls his eyes. "... perks. And more work to do."
"You think I can do it, sir?" you ask, the thought of being responsible for more people's lives not necessarily sitting with you.
"Yeah." he says, spearing you with a look. "Look, I'm gonna level with you - the higher up you get, the tougher the calls. I try to match up people with assignments that match their skill set, but sometimes I don't make the right call. Neither will you, not all the time." he pauses, eyes becoming unfocused for a second. "But at some point, you gotta sink or swim. Sometimes, your guys will get killed, like Schmidt, even though nobody really did anything wrong there. Or not cut the mustard and wind up working blue zone commie block security, like Danforth." He gives you a crooked smirk. "So far, you've thrived. And... " he shakes his head. "I could use the help." he gestures to the map projected onto the wall. "I got four platoons - you and another mechanized infantry, an armor platoon, and my command platoon." He chuckles. "Kind of a mixed bag that one, but nobody's going to take me out of my Mammoth, we've been through too much."
"I've got my standing and explicit orders, Treasury guys crawling up my ass about Tiberium shipments, Air Force people giving me shit about SAM sites and no-fly zones, and Navy people asking me to hunt down secret boat docks."
"Secret boat docks?" You ask with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah, bastards are using these old-ass converted fishing boats from back when you could eat fish out the ocean and not get a gut full of Tiberium. They get the engines running, put a deck gun or two on, then send them out to harass the big cargo ships. Some of these things are barely bigger than motor boats."
You shake your head in a mixture of admiration and disgust.
"Anyway, I get a bunch of friendly requests that eventually tend to become orders if I don't address them. But I can only do so many things at a time, which is where you'll come in." he holds up two fingers. "Two platoons, Lieutenant. It'll mean a little multi-tasking and delegation." he says with a smirk. "Take some time off, think about it. But not too much time - in this organization, it's up or out."
He chuckles. "At least it's not Nod, where 'out' means you're out on your ass in a Tiberium field with not so much as pair of underwear."
You can't help but chuckle as well at the thought. "I'll consider it, sir."
---
You've got a couple of weeks of blue zone leave coming. It's almost winter in the northern hemisphere, so you're not expecting pleasant summer weather or anything, but for the next two and a half weeks, the world is your oyster. As long as there's a military airfield within public transportation distance. Where do you go?
[] Falmouth, Cape Cod (northeast US); visit your mom. Kind of cold and boring this time of year.
-[] Get a haircut just to be contrarian
-[] Leave your hair as is, although she'll find something else to complain about
[] Canary Islands. Sounds like a pretty happening place to visit and work on your tan. A pretty common destination for off-duty personnel from the West African BZ/YZ.
[] Norway. You've always wanted to visit Scandinavia, go hiking and visit some of the historical battlefields of the Second Tiberium War.
[x] Plan Final movements
-[x] [Map and a plan] Nod - "trust but verify" - you'll build the APC and detach it, but have the asset standing by
-[x] Check with the satellite first
Day 1, T+0
APC built in B4
Satellite scan shows 2x Turret, 1x Power Plant; all other structures disassembled
E-Squad #2 swaps to repair loadout, repairs 2x APC
E-Squad #3 repairs Predator
2x APC arrives in B8
Harvesters to D3, 2x load collected
Spike income +50
Day 2, T+0
Harvesters to D4, (+1500)
Spike income +50
Sabuur APC B4 -> B3
2x APC B8 -> C8
T+1
Sabuur APC B3 -> B2
5x APC, 1x Predator, 2x E-Squad C8 -> D8; D8 empty; all structures disassembled, no Nod presence.
T+2
Sabuur APC B2 -> A2
Sabuur roll: 9;
-[x] [Map and a plan] Nod - "trust but verify" - you'll build the APC and detach it, but have the asset standing by
-[x] Check with the satellite first
Day 1, T+0
APC built in B4
Satellite scan shows 2x Turret, 1x Power Plant; all other structures disassembled
E-Squad #2 swaps to repair loadout, repairs 2x APC
E-Squad #3 repairs Predator
2x APC arrives in B8
Harvesters to D3, 2x load collected
Spike income +50
Day 2, T+0
Harvesters to D4, (+1500)
Spike income +50
Sabuur APC B4 -> B3
2x APC B8 -> C8
T+1
Sabuur APC B3 -> B2
5x APC, 1x Predator, 2x E-Squad C8 -> D8; D8 empty; all structures disassembled, no Nod presence.
T+2
Sabuur APC B2 -> A2
Sabuur roll: 9;
negotiation successful
October 13, 2058
"Satellite data analysis... completed." your EVA tells you as you watch the Ox drop the APC off and the factory crew begin the pre-operational checklist. You never want to just send a "factory fresh" APC out into the field - you have to do the "local environmental adaptation kit" (LEAK) first, make sure the ammo bin has the right kind of ammo. Then the crew who's going to be driving it needs to come in, take it for a test spin, customize all the control settings to their preference. And let's not forget mounting ablative plating, if necessary. In this case, probably not - you're just having it drive down to the Forgotten outpost in A2 and you don't expect it to be fired on by laser weapons.
You also spend some time managing Tiberium cleanup in B4. When the Forgotten die, the Tiberium works pretty quickly to consume the bodies, and you have to have them burned quickly to ensure that they do not turn into Visceroids or start spreading. It's pretty distasteful work overall, and you really wish this whole thing hadn't happened.
The satellite scan shows about what you expected - the two turrets and a power plant remain; the rest of the structures are disassembled and gone. You think you can see a stray construction crew getting ready to disassemble the rest of the goodies, but there's little you can do about it - your engineering squads are busy patching up your APCs and Predator tank in C8.
You turn to Sabuur, clapping him on the side of his shoulder as best you can (he's tall and you have to take care to avoid the big chunk of Tiberium sticking out of his bicep). "Good luck. We'll be ready to come bail you out if need be."
He nods. "I hope it does not come to that."
"Me too."
---
October 14, 2058
The APCs sensors and the devices you've re-activated in the power plant and barracks provide you with a pretty good picture of what's going on in the Forgotten outpost in A2 as Sabuur drives his APC in there. He's accosted by several individuals wielding previous-generation projectile rifles, but maintains calm, keeping his hands in the air. The woman you saw earlier on the screen approaches.
"Well, Alia, you and your people have really stepped into the slurry this time." Sabuur opens the dialog.
She spreads her arms. "They took Pierre and refuse to return him. And then they steal our Tiberium, thinking to make us blind. Are we supposed to dance with joy when they come to 'negotiate'?" she says the last word with particular venom.
Sabuur shrugs. "Do you want to go over the sensor data again? You know that GDI didn't take your Tiberium. As for Pierre, do you know why they took him?"
Alia shakes her head. "No. They refuse to answer."
Sabuur sighs. "Why... would they build a nuclear power plant and a top-of-the-line housing facility for you if they didn't have good intentions? You realize that the two vehicles that wiped out your attack force are just a small portion of what they actually have here." He shakes his head, and you're pretty sure he rolls his eyes, you can't tell at this angle. "What are you cretins trying to do, get killed?"
Alia shakes her head, remaining silent, then sets her jaw, pointing her rifle at Sabuur.
"Step away from the Guardian. We will be taking it and leaving."
Sabuur scoffs. "First of all, it's locked to my biometrics, including, I might add, voice-print identification. Second of all, you're all going to die if you try to do that."
"What do you suggest?" Alia says, her rifle still pointing at Sabuur, along with the others next to her, although, some of them start looking around in suspicion.
"Give the diplomat up. You can still go free." Sabuur begins. "Well, nobody who was involved in the attack on the GDI base or the actual kidnapping." he amends. "Although... you did not actually kill anybody. Maybe they will be somewhat lenient. We can ask about Pierre, the current commander here is a very reasonable woman." he spreads his arms in a plea. "Spare your people's lives. Enough of us have died over the last few days, let us not add more to the funeral pyre."
Alia sniffs, bringing her rifle down, looking deflated. "I will take responsibility." she motions to one of the other Forgotten next to her. "Bring the diplomat." Karpov emerges shortly.
You sigh with relief. "Three-five-eight actual to R-A. Stand down." you transmit on the dedicated InOps channel.
"Understood." replies the voice on the other end. "Too bad, I was hoping for some action. Well, better luck next time."
You resist the urge to make a sarcastic rejoinder.
---
By the time your APCs and tank group up and move on D8, the brotherhood has dismantled their remaining structures and fled off into the desert. On your next status update with the Captain, Sergeant Rei informs you that he has completed the sweep of SAM sites in his assigned area. With GDI moving to assert air superiority, the Nod forces there pack up and move on to greener pastures, so to speak.
Over the next several days, you get your vehicles back into repaired state, lay minefields along the southern perimeter of the area, repair the bridge from A2 to A3, and re-activate the Tiberium spikes in B2 while your harvesters begin clearing Tiberium from the rest of the area, the entire process expected to take upwards of a month. The Captain sends a replacement butter-bar to relieve Sgt. Rei, who is all too happy to relinquish command - you get the feeling he didn't enjoy the experience. The new Lieutenant keeps the force there long enough to grab all the loose Tiberium then pulls back to your company HQ. Which, granted, takes several weeks, but is a lot easier without Nod forces constantly sending swarms of buggies and rocket bikes in.
Representative Karpov, Captain Amir and you hold one more in-person meeting in the command post.
"Well... not the most optimal outcome in terms of info-sec." Captain Amir begins. You kind of wonder how she hasn't pulled all her hair out at this point given her nervous tick of redoing her ponytail every half a minute. "But, I suppose nobody gets every outcome they want." she chuckles. "As a wise man once said, the best way to secure a data disk is to melt it in an incinerator. But that approach has its own problems."
"Well, I, for one, am thankful the Lieutenant exercised restraint in this situation." Karpov responds. "I will make a note of it in my report." He looks at you. "I will require transport to the other mission area under your company's responsibility, to see what we can do to calm the Forgotten in that area down. I will be moving on after that, and I imagine you will, too."
"Probably." you respond, shrugging non-commitally. Although you certainly would be a little pissed off if you found out you had to guard this prison camp for the rest of your career.
He gets up and offers his hand, which you shake, then you leave.
You look at Captain Amir.
[] Ask her what's the deal with this 'Pierre' character that was the cause of so much distress
[] Ask her to go easy on the the poor scrubs that survived your Pitbull/Predator pasting
[] Ask her how long she plans on continuing to run this prison camp
---
November 21, 2058
With the prison camp having remained secure for the last month, and the last of the surface Tiberium in the area cleaned up, you visit Sabuur's outpost on the way back from inspecting the crew setting up the Tiberium spike in sector D4. The surface Tiberium may be gone, but it always comes back up if a spike isn't installed, "like a bad case of the herp", as described by one of the engineers setting up the spike. You shrug - the Captain has just sent you a message ordering your platoon back to company HQ.
"So." Sabuur says, taking a break from re-adjusting a loose ablative armor plate on one of the shelters. "I take it you are leaving."
"Not all of us." You say with a smirk. "A solid garrison will remain, and you'll have plenty of heads up in case Nod forces try to push into this area again."
He smiles and points. "You are leaving, though."
You nod and acknowledge with a tilt of your head. "Duty calls."
Sabuur extends his enormous hand. "If you ever feel the need to visit a small corner of our Tiberium wasteland again, you are more than welcome here."
You return his hand shake as best you can, grinning. "Of course. I'll give you a call if I ever need a hostage negotiator."
"Pah." Sabuur swats the air with his hand. "It is easy to negotiate when you have all the evidence you need and overwhelming force backing you up." he claps your shoulder. "Take care of yourself, my friend."
You nod. "You too."
In a way, you're glad you're wearing a helmet - your eyes get suspiciously misty as you depart.
---
November 23, 2058
"Good work out there, Lieutenant." the Captain tells you, motioning for you to have a seat in his impromptu office. "You didn't get all the Noddies, but that wasn't your job in the first place."
You nod as he continues. "Shame about those Forgotten, but I don't think there was anything you could have done differently. Lacking a time machine or some kind of ability to see into the future, anyway." He adds with a smirk.
"Anyway, you're due for a rotation back to the blue zones soon. I wanted to have a chat with you first, though."
"Sir?"
"I'd like to offer you the exec spot in my company. Promotion to First Lieutenant, with all the, uh... " he rolls his eyes. "... perks. And more work to do."
"You think I can do it, sir?" you ask, the thought of being responsible for more people's lives not necessarily sitting with you.
"Yeah." he says, spearing you with a look. "Look, I'm gonna level with you - the higher up you get, the tougher the calls. I try to match up people with assignments that match their skill set, but sometimes I don't make the right call. Neither will you, not all the time." he pauses, eyes becoming unfocused for a second. "But at some point, you gotta sink or swim. Sometimes, your guys will get killed, like Schmidt, even though nobody really did anything wrong there. Or not cut the mustard and wind up working blue zone commie block security, like Danforth." He gives you a crooked smirk. "So far, you've thrived. And... " he shakes his head. "I could use the help." he gestures to the map projected onto the wall. "I got four platoons - you and another mechanized infantry, an armor platoon, and my command platoon." He chuckles. "Kind of a mixed bag that one, but nobody's going to take me out of my Mammoth, we've been through too much."
"I've got my standing and explicit orders, Treasury guys crawling up my ass about Tiberium shipments, Air Force people giving me shit about SAM sites and no-fly zones, and Navy people asking me to hunt down secret boat docks."
"Secret boat docks?" You ask with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah, bastards are using these old-ass converted fishing boats from back when you could eat fish out the ocean and not get a gut full of Tiberium. They get the engines running, put a deck gun or two on, then send them out to harass the big cargo ships. Some of these things are barely bigger than motor boats."
You shake your head in a mixture of admiration and disgust.
"Anyway, I get a bunch of friendly requests that eventually tend to become orders if I don't address them. But I can only do so many things at a time, which is where you'll come in." he holds up two fingers. "Two platoons, Lieutenant. It'll mean a little multi-tasking and delegation." he says with a smirk. "Take some time off, think about it. But not too much time - in this organization, it's up or out."
He chuckles. "At least it's not Nod, where 'out' means you're out on your ass in a Tiberium field with not so much as pair of underwear."
You can't help but chuckle as well at the thought. "I'll consider it, sir."
---
You've got a couple of weeks of blue zone leave coming. It's almost winter in the northern hemisphere, so you're not expecting pleasant summer weather or anything, but for the next two and a half weeks, the world is your oyster. As long as there's a military airfield within public transportation distance. Where do you go?
[] Falmouth, Cape Cod (northeast US); visit your mom. Kind of cold and boring this time of year.
-[] Get a haircut just to be contrarian
-[] Leave your hair as is, although she'll find something else to complain about
[] Canary Islands. Sounds like a pretty happening place to visit and work on your tan. A pretty common destination for off-duty personnel from the West African BZ/YZ.
[] Norway. You've always wanted to visit Scandinavia, go hiking and visit some of the historical battlefields of the Second Tiberium War.
- Location
- Most likely California
[X] Ask her what's the deal with this 'Pierre' character that was the cause of so much distress
Seriously, what the hell was going on here? Inquiring minds want to know.
[X] Norway. You've always wanted to visit Scandinavia, go hiking and visit some of the historical battlefields of the Second Tiberium War.
L O R E
Seriously, what the hell was going on here? Inquiring minds want to know.
[X] Norway. You've always wanted to visit Scandinavia, go hiking and visit some of the historical battlefields of the Second Tiberium War.
L O R E
- Pronouns
- He
[X] Ask her what's the deal with this 'Pierre' character that was the cause of so much distress
[X] Norway. You've always wanted to visit Scandinavia, go hiking and visit some of the historical battlefields of the Second Tiberium War.
See the lovely moose.
[X] Norway. You've always wanted to visit Scandinavia, go hiking and visit some of the historical battlefields of the Second Tiberium War.
See the lovely moose.
[X] Ask her what's the deal with this 'Pierre' character that was the cause of so much distress
[X] Norway. You've always wanted to visit Scandinavia, go hiking and visit some of the historical battlefields of the Second Tiberium War.
Looks like we are sticking around in North Africa for the time being. The promotion was kinda expected, but also kinda fast. 2 years in grade is the old standby, but we are dealing with a constant war footing, so rapid promotion is also the norm.
Since we are staying in the area we may get a chance to nail the Noddie we missed this time around. Assuming of course that they survived their superior's disappointment in their failure, or a junior subordinate taking the initiative to arrange a new leadership situation.
[X] Norway. You've always wanted to visit Scandinavia, go hiking and visit some of the historical battlefields of the Second Tiberium War.
Looks like we are sticking around in North Africa for the time being. The promotion was kinda expected, but also kinda fast. 2 years in grade is the old standby, but we are dealing with a constant war footing, so rapid promotion is also the norm.
Since we are staying in the area we may get a chance to nail the Noddie we missed this time around. Assuming of course that they survived their superior's disappointment in their failure, or a junior subordinate taking the initiative to arrange a new leadership situation.